Shadows of Deceit
by AngelSlayer135
Summary: I failed them, I let everyone down, and now they are dead. It was only later that I would discover how far the shadows of deceit ran. ***8/20/2016 minor grammar and spelling issues fixed through all chapters. Several chapters have content modified. A/N added at end. ***
1. Prelude to Darkness

**Shadows of Deceit**

Prelude to Darkness

Big thanks to everyone who reads this or any of my stories.

***I do not own Bleach, just the storyline which I am currently working on***

 _***SoD***_

I failed, I let everyone down. Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, Rukia…

There were problems from the very beginning of our quest.

Bad timing which ended up with us running through the Dangai, and after we managed to break into the Seireitei we were immediately separated, all because I couldn't control my powers.

Even after all of that I thought we had a good chance of success.

I defeated Ikkaku and even Renji in our rematch, I felt invincible, I knew we would win. We would rescue Rukia, get back to the living world, and take down anyone who stood in our way.

Then it all fell apart.

I ran into one of the Captains, some guy by the name of Kenpachi, and although I defeated him I was also defeated by him. When I woke up I found myself here, in this prison cell made of some stuff that completely blocks and suppresses spirit energy.

Later on I was told by the guards that there would be a trial to determine my fate.

I assumed that they would kill me, after all they sentenced Rukia to death for less and I practically declared war on them.

A day later I learned the fate of my friends.

Orihime and Tatsuki had been ambushed by members of Squad Twelve and killed in the conflict.

Chad was killed by the Captain of the Seventh Division who he had been unlucky to run into.

Uryu fought bravely, making the Quincy proud, but in the end had been slain by the Captain of Squad Two.

Ganju has been arrested and is also awaiting trial, same as myself. I can only hope that they will spare him due to his limited involvement.

A few days later the bastard Byakuya Kuchiki paid me a visit.

He informed me that Rukia had been executed and that her last request was for us to be released, not being told of our failure and casualties.

Apparently Renji grew a conscious and had attempted a last minute rescue, but was in no condition to fight off the other lieutenants, much less the Captains present at the execution. Just for good measure he has also been arrested for insubordination.

Later that evening though I had received an unexpected visitor.

 _***SoD***_

"Psst hey Ichigo"

I sat up from my bed at the sound of my name and made my way over to the small window in my cell. Looking out I saw an attractive dark skinned woman wearing all black on the other side.

"Um who are you?" I asked, searching my mind to try and put a name with the face.

"It's Yoruichi," she paused looking a bit indecisive and allowing me to try and process the dramatic change. "I wanted to tell you… I'm so sorry for how this all ended. I tried to rescue you after your battle with Kenpachi but by the time I reached you several captains had already placed you in custody. I also tried a last minute intervention for Rukia, but with the Captain Commander and half a dozen other Captains at the execution site I couldn't get close enough."

I knew what she was trying to do, take away my guilt and put it on her shoulders, as if she were the one who had failed. I gave her a small thankful smile.

"It's not your fault Yoruichi-Sama, I know that you can't get me out of here with all the guards and the stuff this building is made of… but could you do me a favor?" I swallowed, trying to force the tears from my eyes as I remember my friends and family, all those who had relied on me.

"C-could you tell my dad that something happened to me, I don't think he would believe the truth so just tell him it was an accident or something." I couldn't bring myself to directly state that I was asking her to inform my father of my 'death'.

"Also would you ask Hat-n-Clogs if he could look out for him? He will be alone now and I worry about him."

For a moment a strange look passes over her face that I don't have time to recognize, guilt maybe? Just as she is about to say something I hear a guard returning and warn Mr. err Ms. Yoruichi that she should get going.

There is no reason for her to be caught too.

Just before leaving, she glances back one last time to mutter another apology, then disappears into the night.

 _***SoD***_

Days passed by with nothing to do but await my fate and think about how life had lead to this moment; until I was finally told that the council of Captains had assembled to judge me and my actions.

As I walked into the long hallway I immediately felt the eyes in the room focus on me.

A mixture of expressions covered the various faces. Everything ranging from contempt, to excitement, to pity.

I was forced to sit in a chair in the middle of the room, and was then bound to it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki" The old man seated in front of me spoke in a commanding voice, silencing the various murmurs that had begun from the other Captains, "You are here to answer for the following crimes: theft of Shinigami powers, unauthorized entry into the Dangai, assault on a gatekeeper of the Seireitei, assault on several Shinigami including three officers, and the attempted intervention of a state condoned execution. What do you have to say in your defense?"

"I did what I know is right and nothing you say or do will make me think otherwise. So you can take your laws and shove them." I responded.

I was too disgusted in a system that would kill someone for saving lives to care about defending myself through any kind of legal method.

"Very well, we will now decide your sentence." The Captains left the meeting hall leaving me alone with my thoughts.

With nothing else to do I glanced around the large ornately designed chamber. It must have taken a fortune to build this place I realized, yet another failure for these so called 'guardians of the dead'. They leave civilians in poverty but spend massive amounts of money just for a room to stand and talk in.

I remember being brought out of my thoughts by the sound of the door opening and the various Captains returning to their spots.

"Due to… unforeseen circumstances it has been agreed by the Gotei Thirteen that execution is not warranted for either you or Ganju Shiba. We have discovered that the execution of Rukia Kuchki was in fact staged by several traitorous Captains for an unknown reason, all of this after they had murdered the controlling government of Soul Society. Therefore you are hereby sentenced to three hundred years imprisonment for your crimes, and the removal of your Soul Reaper powers in order to prevent any further incidents. Ganju Shiba will be released into the custody of his family due to their former status as nobility."

A few moments passed as everything the old man said slowly sunk into my mind and I was able to process everything until…

"YOU BASTARDS!" I shouted, which seemed to startle everyone in the room. "You killed Rukia because you didn't even bother to question why. We were doing the right thing but because you are so damn set in you blind ignorant traditions you can't even think for yourselves. Hell you murdered my friends who were barely even a threat to any of you!" I continued shouting, until one of the guards gagged me to stop my "disrespectful outburst".

 _***SoD***_

After the "trial" I was returned to my cell, without so much as an attempt at an apology. The only remorse coming from a man wearing a pink kimono and a sickly looking man with white hair.

That brings us to the present day, with me sitting alone waiting for those pompous assholes to strip me of my powers, again.

It is evening now, the only way I know this is due to the rising and falling of the sun and moon.

Someone else is here though, just outside my cell.

I do not know when they arrived. Maybe they have always been here, watching me. I have certainly felt as though I have been under surveillance ever since I entered the Seireitei but I had assumed it was just my paranoia.

As I stare into the darkness, the only light now coming from the full moon and a few torch-like devices on the walls dimly lighting the hallway, I finally am able to make out the shape of a person standing in the shadows.

As the man strides out into the pale moonlight I am finally able to make out his appearance, he is wearing a Captain's uniform. His glasses, simple brown hair, and friendly smile do nothing to help me relax.

I have seen what these monsters are capable of.

He glances over me, as if assessing my soul, before speaking.

"Hello Ichigo Kurosaki. My name is Aizen Sosuke, and I have a proposition for you."

***A/N***

That is the end of the first chapter of my "Shadows of Deceit" story. I hope I ended it on a decent cliffhanger.

This will probably be the only chapter I write in the first person, simply because although I find it interesting and fun to write in it becomes a bit difficult keeping past and present tense separate.

I have changed several things from cannon in order to make this story work, first Karin and Yuzu were never born. Second, Tatsuki was given spiritual powers, because I feel she should have had them in the actual Manga. Finally Keigo and Mizuiro never befriended Ichigo. All of these changes are necessary for what I have planned.

I have made a few changes to canon in regards to the invasion of Soul Society, but I believe they are all fairly possible. The fact that Ichigo's companions just HAPPENED to run into captains they could either A. defeat or B. wouldn't kill them seems ridiculously convenient. Also like I said in the prologue, I have to be a bit cruel to Ichigo in order to remove his attachments from the 'good guys' and part of that is removing his friends from the picture.

Finally I am planning on introducing some romantic pairings later on, I have not decided who yet, and I enjoy Harribel and Nel both just too much to choose. When it gets closer to the decision I will put a survey in my profile for people to vote on, after all author's write for the reader, not for ourselves.

Finally, if you have a time stop over and check out "To find the Heart" written by 'IIIIIIIIII'. Many of my future chapters have parts credited to this story, and it's just a really good story.

If you have time to comment or favorite I appreciate it.

If not then I hope you simply read and enjoy.


	2. Introductions and Insults

**Shadows of Deceit**

Introductions and Insults

Thank you for all the favorites, comments, and follows.

***I do not own Bleach, or any of the characters. ***

 _***SoD***_

After releasing Ichigo from his cell, and using some sort of strange device that seemed to tear a hole in the air itself, Aizen and Ichigo made their way through the long dark tunnel. Along the way Aizen explained to the substitute his reasoning for saving the boy.

"It is really quite simple Ichigo, I see in you a potential ally and I wish to save you from the fate that Soul Society had planned for you. We are currently heading back through what is known as a Garganta to Las Noches. There you will be safe to rest and regain your strength. Once you have done this I will answer any questions that I am sure you have for me and offer you any training you might be willing to accept. All that I ask for in exchange is for you to keep an open mind to my cause and consider joining me. If you decide not to I will respect your decision and take you anywhere you wish to go."

Ichigo nodded, trying to fight off the drowsiness due to his inability to sleep since his capture.

"I would however suggest that you never return to Soul Society. The choice is yours of course but you will undoubtedly be arrested for even worse crimes once they realize you have escaped with the help of a 'traitor'."

Once again Ichigo nodded in agreement, not trusting himself to verbally answer the man in front of him. He figured that he owed Aizen at least what was requested of him for his rescue, although if what he assumed was correct then Aizen was also responsible for Rukia's execution to some extent.

Most importantly though Ichigo wanted answers for what happened. He needed closure in some form or another.

As the two Shinigami left the tunnel they arrived at the gates of an enormous structure, almost too large to be real. Ichigo immediately realized that they were no longer in Soul Society, the air felt different and the desert they stood upon seemed to stretch on forever under the night sky.

"Ichigo" the ex-Captain began bringing the young man out of his thoughts, "do you know where we are right now?"

"Uhm not really, it feels different than the living world or Soul Society though."

"That is because we are currently in what is known as Hueco Mundo."

As he spoke Aizen lifted his arm and the gates to the fortress slowly opened and Aizen strode inside, gesturing Ichigo to follow him.

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, "you mean the place that Hollows come from? Seems like a dangerous place to have your palace Aizen-San."

The older man chuckled at the teen's choice of words and attempt at respect, which seemed so foreign coming from him. "Yes but there is no better place to find enemies of Soul Society, and therefore potential allies, I will be introducing you to some of my 'officers' later today if you decide to stay."

"Wait, your officers are Hollows?" Ichigo quickly surmised in a shocked tone. He could not imagine the monstrous creatures following orders or even working together for that matter.

"In a sense yes, but they are modified in a unique way that I will explain later should you be interested. For now though I believe you should get some rest, you have been under a great amount of stress for over two weeks now and you look ready to fall over from exhaustion."

Aizen opened the door that they had come to a stop in front of and motioned for Ichigo to go inside.

"This section of Las Noches is my personal living area and is off limits to everyone else so you may rest easy. I guarantee that as long as you remain here no harm will come to you."

Ichigo nodded thanking the man and bidding him a good night before heading into his room in an attempt to rest.

Without his fate hanging over his head Ichigo managed to sleep for the first time since his capture. Despite this he still tossed and turned as images of his friends haunted his dreams.

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Ichigo awoke and changed into a pair of white pants, a white sleeveless vest, and a white jacket. Similar to what he saw Aizen wearing only the outside coat only coming to his waist.

"Big color selection" he muttered to himself, "I wonder if they have anything normal to eat here since I doubt hollows care about human food."

He left his room and began wondering about the fortress, and its empty halls, trying to locate food, or at least someone to talk to.

Finally, after a solid hour, and ending up lost for the fourth time, he managed to stumble upon a large meeting room dominated by a long table with chairs on either side and a single chair at the end. All of the chairs were occupied with human looking creatures, again dressed in white, with Aizen sitting at the end and the Captain he remembered being named 'Gin Ichimaru' sitting at the corner next to him. The others he did not recognize.

As he glanced at the other occupants he realized that most had what appeared to be the remains of hollow masks on or near their faces. As Ichigo glanced into the, now silent, room he became aware of the fact that all of the occupants were now staring directly at him.

Next to Gin was a lazy looking man with shoulder length black hair, then a dark skinned woman sat with her face covered but, much to Ichigo's embarrassment, not much else. Beside her sat another pretty woman with long green hair and a kind, but curious, smile on her face.

Next to the woman sat a feral looking man with a grin that would make Kenpachi envious, he had short blue hair and looked ready for a fight at any moment. At his side, and at the end of the table, was a frail looking man with pink hair… and what appeared to be glasses on.

Across from the bespectacled man sat a dark skinned bald male. At his side sat another dark skinned bald man who appeared to have horns running along the top of his head.

Further down the row was another lanky looking man with black hair, except for this one had an eye patch, immediately causing Ichigo to become weary of the man, due to his experiences with eye patches. Then came a short pale man with bright green eyes and a face that held no emotion at all.

Following him was an old dark skinned man whose face seemed to hold a permanent scowl and finally, on Aizen's other side, sat a dark skinned male wearing what appeared to be blank goggles.

"Ah good afternoon Ichigo, I am glad to see you up and looking a bit more rested. We were just sitting down for lunch and tea if you wish to join us. I assume that you are hungry after being nearly starved in captivity."

At this comment a few of the eyes took on a bit of a sympathetic look, and Ichigo was immediately reminded of his "trial" as far as the various facial features went.

"Uh yeah sure, thank you Aizen-San." Ichigo bowed eliciting a chuckle from Aizen and Gin.

"Ulquiorra would you please obtain an extra seat for my guest, I believe next to Gin would be a good spot."

The shorter pale man nodded before disappearing with a brief static sound and reappearing with an extra chair which he placed between Gin and the, now napping, black haired man.

As Aizen gestured for Ichigo to sit a young female brought in a plate of food and sat it before him. Ichigo thanked the young girl before hesitantly tasting, and then proceeding to shovel food into his mouth as if he had not eaten in months.

"Ichigo I would like to introduce you to everyone, it will take but a moment." Aizen spoke out, smirking slightly at the sight of Ichigo's eating habits. The teen in question looked up and nodded as he swallowed the roll he had attempted to cram into his mouth all at once.

"I assume you know Gin, and this is my other lieutenant Kaname Tousen." the obvious leader gestured to the goggle wearing man.

"The rest are Coyote Stark, Baraggan Louisenbairn, Tier Harribel, Ulquiorra Cifer, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Nnoitra Gilga, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Zommari Rureaux, Szayelporro Granz, and Yammy Llargo." The individuals in question stood as they were introduced to avoid confusing the boy.

"They are my 'Espada' and are ranked from one to ten in terms of power, in the order in which I introduced them. They are called 'Arrancar' and for simplicity you can think of them as Hollows with Shinigami powers and stabilized minds."

Ichigo thought this over as he glanced across the table again. He had been taught that Hollows were essentially monsters for Soul Reapers to destroy, but then he recalled the incident with Orihime's brother and shame flowed through his body as he realized that he had been judging a race based on only a few encounters and very little information.

The substitute stood and bowed to the Espada as a group, "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute Soul Reaper. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Reactions varied among the Espada from amused smiles to angry and annoyed eye rolls.

"Great another Shinigami, let me guess you are here to be yet another one of our superiors and show how much better you are than us dirty Hollows right?" The man now identified as Grimmjow angrily exclaimed.

"Uh no? I am just here because Aizen-San requested me to join him, and he saved me so I owe him" the Soul Reaper responded.

"Wow nice guess dumbass, you sure are good at reading people." Nnoitra laughed at the blue haired Espada.

"Shut the hell up Nnoitra, unless you want me to smash your face in!"

"Yeah I'd like to see you try, I would beat you so hard your face would look like… uh… well even uglier!"

The other Espada rolled their eyes as the two men practically climbed on the table to reach each other.

"Would you two sit back down, you are embarrassing the rest of us with your antics." Harribel said with a sigh. She then released a wave of spirit energy, forcing the two males to sit down and shocking Ichigo with her power.

'She is incredible! I bet she is even more powerful then Kenpachi and that guy was a monster.' Ichigo thought to himself.

"I see from your facial expression that you have realized how powerful my Espada are Ichigo." Aizen smiled as the boy could only nod in amazement. "They are my counter against the remaining Captains of the Seireitei. Along with the Numeros, Privaron, and Fraccion they form my army to be used against the Soul Society's military forces." The commander explained before continuing on.

"The Fraccion are much like the Lieutenants of the Court Guard, the Privaron are also near Espada Class Arrancar but not quite as strong. Finally the Numeros are the foot soldiers who do not fit under another classification." Aizen explained.

"Now that introductions have been made I would like us all to have a peaceful meal before I hand out orders for the rest of the day." The occupants of the room nodded and settled into private conversations, mostly ignoring Ichigo.

 _***SoD***_

Around twenty minutes later the meal had been finished and Aizen stood to address the group, before turning slightly towards his newest guest, "Ichigo if you would like to head back to your quarters I will be there shortly to speak with you in private, I doubt you would be interested in the rest of this conversation."

Ichigo nodded before getting up and heading to the door then paused for a moment and turned to speak. Before he could get a word out though, Stark appeared before him in a flash and handing him a map of Las Noches.

"This should help make it easier for you to navigate this place." the Primera explained.

"Thank you, Stark-San." Ichigo bowed briefly before heading, with confidence, to his room to await Aizen.

 _***SoD***_

After a half an hour or so, he heard a knock before opening the door and welcoming Aizen into his temporary room.

"So Ichigo, I am sure you have some questions for me just as I have some for you. Let me ask you this though, what did Kisuke Urahara and your father tell you about me?"

***A/N***

Woo chapter two done!

Couple quick things that might clear up some questions though, The Espada rankings are as follows:

Stark

Baraggan

Harribel

Ulquiorra

Nelliel

Nnoitra

Grimmjow

Zommari

Szayelporro

Yammy

I put Nelliel back as a full Espada because quite frankly the idea that Aizen, a tactical genius, would allow one of his most powerful warriors to just be rendered useless just because he didn't change her back is idiotic. Also the whole "if you cut their mask they turn into children", thing always seemed dumb to me. Especially since it only happened that one time and was never used against the Arrancar.

There will be combat and action later on in the story I PROMISE! This part is just really important; Ichigo needs to have a reason to fight alongside the Arrancar and against Soul Society.

The length of the chapters, for now, will remain around 1500-2000ish words; I figured it is more interesting to read two shorter chapters a week than one really long chapter that just drags on.

Aaroniero will be mentioned later on, I just never really liked him as a character, also the fact that Rukia killed him is kind of sad, and so he will be a Privaron. The Numeros have been changed to foot soldiers because it seems a bit confusing to have Fraccion be part of two different groups.

Finally, Yammy will NOT be the '0' Espada, I find the concepts behind that really lame that he is just a crappy version of the Incredible Hulk from Marvel. That and the fact that he should've been absurdly powerful but two injured Captains whoop his ass with seemingly little difficulty.

Anyway that is all for now, if you have time to comment or favorite I appreciate it.

If not, then I hope you simply read and enjoy.


	3. Of Arrancar and Men

**Shadows of Deceit**

Of Arrancar and Men

Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows.

***I do not own Bleach; if I did I would not be looking for a new job right now. ***

 _***SoD***_

"W-what do you mean? Why the hell would my father know anything about you? As for Hat-N-Clogs, he didn't mention anything about you." The perplexed boy rambled out, trying to understand what was going on.

Aizen gave an almost shocked expression which quickly became a more sympathetic smile.

"They never told you… Urahara has known about me and my plans for over one hundred years now, why do you think he was so eager to help you retrieve the Hogyoku?"

"Wait the what?" Ichigo interrupted, his brain starting to go on overdrive from all of the information.

Aizen reached into his coat and pulled out a small sphere that seemed to radiate with a dense power unlike anything Ichigo had ever felt before.

"This is the Hogyoku, it was partially created by Urahara and partially by me over a hundred years ago. After he fled Soul Society following 'the incident' he placed the object in a special Gigai which he would later give to Rukia Kuchki. This Gigai would eventually erase her and the Hogyoku's power but I had her retrieved before this could happen. At that point I was forced to escalate her execution via the Sokyoku so that the artifact could be retrieved from her soul."

"So you did have a hand in Rukia's death." the boy seethed out at the man in front of him.

"Yes I did. Although I did have another method of retrieving it should she have been saved that would have preserved her life, but with her being watched so closely it was nearly impossible for me to implement this method. What I would like to know is what Urahara told you before you entered Soul Society concerning your mission."

"He didn't really tell us anything besides our timeframe for the execution."

At this statement Aizen let out a sigh. "Kisuke Urahara is one of the smartest men to have ever lived, combined with the fact that he is an expert in all forms of combat, along with a master of stealth and infiltration. If He Would have taught you these things, you could have been able to avoid some of the battles you had been forced into. He and Yoruichi Shihouin probably could have completed the mission by themselves if they had been so inclined. Instead they sent you and your friends to do their dirty work for them with little information and no proper training. I hate to say it but it sounds more like a suicide mission than a rescue attempt."

"But he did send Yoruichi in with us." Ichigo began trying to defend and justify the actions of the man who had attempted to help him and his friends. After all Urahara would have never sent him and his friends to their deaths knowingly… right?

"Most likely Yoruichi could have escaped with Rukia if you and your allies had caused a large enough distraction, she is known as the 'Goddess of Flash' for a reason after all." Aizen lamented.

Something Aizen had mentioned earlier suddenly popped into Ichigo's head.

"You asked me about my father earlier, why?"

Aizen let out another sigh, as if dreading what he was going to have to reveal to the boy.

"I did not want to be the one to tell you this Ichigo, it should be your father but you need to know the truth. Your father used to be a Shinigami, the Captain of the Tenth Division to be honest."

"What! No your wrong, that's not possible. He can't even see spirits and even if he could he would have told me, I am his son for Kami sake!" the young man almost shouted at the former Captain.

"I am sorry Ichigo, your father and Urahara know far more than they have revealed to you. They are well aware of the events surrounding me, your mother's death, and the significance revolving around you and your origins."

"He knew… that bastard knew what happened to my mom, saw how it affected me every day, and still he never said or did anything to help." Ichigo practically growled out.

"Unfortunately Ichigo I cannot explain why he did not tell you, I can only guess that it was to try and give you a normal childhood, despite what they knew you would be inevitably drawn into. I also know that your father was not lying about being unable to currently see spirits. He lost his powers a few years before your birth to save your mother."

Aizen stood after his last statement and made his way to the door to allow Ichigo time to sort through all that had been revealed to him.

"Just know this Ichigo, you might hate me for the actions I have taken, but this is war. I will do what is necessary to win, but I have not lied to you. Nor do I plan to do so in the future. Get some rest now."

With that Aizen left the room, allowing silence to reign in his absence.

 _***SoD***_

For hours Ichigo sat, trying to get a grasp on what he had been told. Someone was lying and it seemed like everyone was guilty in some way or another.

Small details began fitting like puzzle pieces through his life, details such as Isshin's reaction after his mother's death. His father's meeting with the mysterious man at his mother's funeral, who he could now identify as Urahara. Then there was Kisuke's willingness to help, along with having convenient hints and tips for them, almost as if it was planned. Finally the facial expression that had appeared on Yoruichi's face during his apology suddenly made sense, she had known about his father as well and even as she was leaving him to his fate did not feel the need to tell him the truth.

After around an hour or so of thinking Ichigo stood and made his way to the eating area he had found on the map. He figured that it had been enough time of sitting by himself and he needed to take a break from the stress and confusion.

As he entered the room he noticed several figures already occupying the room. He immediately recognized the two female Espada from the introductions, Nelliel and Harribel. With them were two additional male Arrancar next to the green haired woman and three more female Arrancar sitting on the same side as the dark skinned Espada.

As he approached the table Nelliel rose and walked up to him, holding his gaze.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen-san has informed us of what befell you and your friends in Soul Society." she paused before grabbing Ichigo in a strong hug.

"I am sorry for your loss, you probably do not know this but a few of us are very protective of our Fraccion, Harribel-san, Stark-san, and myself in particular."

The Espada broke the hug before offering him a sad smile.

"If you ever need to talk I am happy to listen." the young boy stood silent for a minute before returning the smile.

"Thank you Nelliel-san, I appreciate that. I had just come to eat but I would like to hear more about you and your comrades if you have time." he asked hopefully.

"Of course Ichigo-san please join us." this time the invitation came from the other woman who was still seated, Harribel.

"You do not have to be so formal, just 'Ichigo' will be fine, that goes for you too Nelliel-san." the young man replied, earning him a smile.

"If that is the case then skip the 'san' part with me." the Fifth Espada said with a bright smile. "Oh these are my Fraccion Dondochakka and Pesche."

The two Arrancar in question gave the boy a thumbs up before continuing to shovel food into their mouths, earning them an embarrassed groan from their mistress.

"These three are my Fraccion Ichigo." Harribel gestured to the three sitting beside her. "The first is Mila Rose, and then Apacci, finally Sun-Sun is at the end."

"Psh like he needs to know about anyone besides Lady Harribel and myself, we are obviously the best here." the tomboyish female blurted out.

"Oh yeah maybe he would care about who you are if he was looking for the weakest Arrancar in Las Noches." Mila Rose shot back.

Soon the three Fraccion started arguing as Harribel face palmed in embarrassment as Nelliel laughed and Ichigo smiled, being reminded of his friends and the human world.

After the introductions Ichigo sat down at the end of the table, after having grabbed an assortment of various foods.

 _***SoD***_

Soon the Shinigami found himself loosening up with the other occupants, especially the two Espada females.

They conversed for hours about everything from the human world to the Espada's lives.

"So the next morning Grimmjow walks in with bright pink hair and Aizen-san doesn't even blink, but Yammy falls out of his chair laughing." As Apacci finished her story the room burst into laughter, even Harribel had a smile and was chuckling from behind her mask.

Before their conversation could continue Aizen strode into the room with a knowing smile on his face. He was flanked by Gin and Tousen along with the rest of the Espada and a short girl wearing a hollow helmet following closely next to Stark.

"Ah Ichigo, I have been looking for you. We are about to head out into Hueco Mundo, away from Las Noches, for some sparring practice between the Espada. If you wish to join us you could even participate if you are feeling up for it." The lord of Las Noches spoke with a comforting smile.

"Sure I will come along." The boy in question answered after seeing the hopeful looks from the two newly befriended female Espada.

 _***SoD***_

After the group had left Las Noches behind, and Aizen thought they were a good distance away to avoid collateral damage, he signaled the group to stop causing the various members to appear in flashes of static.

"This looks like a good place. Now for Ichigo's sake I will review the rules. These are not fights to the death and any serious damage is prohibited, Resurreccion is also banned. Finally, the fights continue until one side gives up, passes out, or I say otherwise any questions?"

"Um yeah I have one, what is Resurreccion?" Ichigo inquired.

"Ah of course you never had any chance to find out, well Ichigo it is what occurs when an Arrancar releases the full power of their Zanpakuto, much like Bankai for a Shinigami." Aizen explained

"So Bankai is what you call the form that Zangetsu is normally in?" Ichigo asked, with a bit of confusion.

At this even Gin and Tousen looked with shocked expressions at the boy. They knew he had been 'trained' by Kisuke Urahara and to think that he had never even been told what Bankai was seemed ridiculous.

"Not quite Ichigo, Bankai is the next stage of release. Your Zanpakuto is in its Shikai form." Aizen explained.

"I am calling out a challenge to Nelliel! I want to show her who is truly deserving of the rank of Fifth Espada." Nnoitra interrupted ignoring the glares he received.

Nelliel let out a sigh before answering, "Fine I accept."

 _***SoD***_

The two combatants flashed a short distance away before Aizen gave the signal and Nnoitra charged the woman at full speed.

As the man swung his sword towards his opponent Nelliel gracefully leapt over the blade, spinning her torso in the air she grabbed his shoulder and threw him into a nearby boulder using the momentum she had built up.

After landing the woman stood and waited patiently for as Nnoitra emerged from the rubble and charged again in rage, this time his enemy ducked under his attack and threw a punch into his stomach knocking the air out of his lungs, as she then followed up with a palm strike to his face. Again he was sent flying a good distance.

When Nnoitra broke from the rubble this time he charged a cero before firing it at full power towards his combatant. Unfortunately his aim had been off and instead the blast missed and was heading towards the observers, specifically at Ichigo.

The boy's eyes widened as he summoned his Zanpakuto and readied himself to deflect the blast as both Nelliel and Harribel moved to intercept the dangerous attack. Before any of them had the chance though Stark flashed in front of the young Shinigami and effortlessly batted the beam away.

"Well done Stark, I am sure Ichigo would have been able to deflect it but this worked just as well. The match will be called in Nelliel's favor due to the fact that if Nnoitra's aim had not been off then Nelliel would have redirected the attack and won. Now who is next" Aizen stated ignoring the grumbles from Nnoitra.

Aizen had been hoping that Ichigo was going to tap into his hollow powers instinctively and stop the cero, but it might have been a bit too early for him to test that idea.

"I'll take on the new guy!" Grimmjow shouted with excitement.

"Do not worry Ichigo, I will be keeping a close eye on the battle." Aizen assured the boy who instantly looked nervous to be in a fight.

Ichigo nodded before proceeding to the battleground followed by Grimmjow, who managed to remain oblivious to the glares of the two female Espada.

"Alright let's see what you got Shinigami." The blue haired Espada smirked.

"Begin!" Aizen announced.

Grimmjow began by flashing next to Ichigo swinging his sword. Ichigo managed to raise Zangetsu just in time to parry the attack but was still launched backwards for his efforts. The Espada continued attacking, each clash pushing the man back time and time again.

"Come on you weakling this can't be all you are capable of! Aizen spoke so highly of your potential." The blue haired man yelled as he charged up a cero with his hand and launched it towards the boy.

Ichigo tried using his Getsuga Tensho to deflect the attack but was unsuccessful and the resulting explosion sent him flying backwards.

Just as he managed to stand he again found himself locking blades with the Seventh Espada.

Grimmjow pressed the assault, forcefully pushing on his blade to overpower his opponent, and just as his blade began nearing the boy's face he was pushed back with a burst of strength.

A split second later the Shinigami heard a voice call out to him.

"You seem to need some help King, how about you let me take over?"

***A/N***

So that was the first attempt of mine to write a combat scene, well two technically, I hope they turned out okay. Ichigo is beginning to bond with the Espada now, which is why these early chapters are so important in my opinion for the later on ones.

As always If you have time to comment or favorite I appreciate it.

If not then I hope you simply read and enjoy.


	4. My Kingdom for a Horse

**Shadows of Deceit**

My Kingdom for a Horse

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorite, or followed my story!

***I do not make the monies off of Bleach, because I do not own it***

 _***SoD***_

"Y-You! What are you doing here!?" A stunned Ichigo stuttered out at the stark white version of himself upon being pulled into his inner world.

"Simple King, I am sick and tired of watch you get our asses kicked all the hell over the place. I mean first you barely managed to tie that Kenpachi guy, then you get your dumbass captured and now you are getting tossed around the place by a random Arrancar? HES NOT EVEN A HIGH RANKING YOU LOSER! Seriously King this is pathetic, losing a fight to a guy who is barely trying and is only ranked as number seven?"

"I have had a lot on my mind lately you bastard! I was locked in a jail cell for weeks after hearing that my friends were killed and now I am in some strange new world fighting enemies I have no experience figh..." Ichigo countered before being interrupted.

"EXCUSES! I don't want to hear any more of them! All you do is bitch and whine about how tough your life is 'waah my friends died, waah I am weak, waah everyone is lying to me' get over yourself. Fighting is simple, it is just him versus you one on one. There is nothing to be afraid of, no big strategy to think up, hell there isn't any righteous goal you have to fight for right now, just whoop this guys ass! If you are so damn nervous just remember what that brown haired douche bag said, this guy can't even use his full power so that excuse is gone as well."

"But… what if I fail again? What if I am not strong enough?" Ichigo muttered and for the first time caught a glimpse of his Zanpakuto spirit standing on a building behind the Hollow version of himself.

"Ichigo," The dark clad man began, his voice resounding through the area as if it was being amplified, "what did I tell when you first drew me in combat?"

Ichigo thought for a moment before his eyes widened in remembrance.

"Ah I see you do remember, what I told you does not just apply to fighting for your friends or your ideals Ichigo, it applies to all aspects of your life. If you live without fear and without hesitation then you will be able to say that you have truly lived when you meet your end. We all must pass on eventually and nothing lasts forever so rather than spend your time cowering you should spend it living every moment to its fullest. Put all of your heart and soul into everything you do and you shall have no regrets." The man spoke in a very sagely way.

"Enough chit chat King, if you are not strong enough to lead us into battle then I am taking over." The pale man taunted as he leapt at Ichigo, swinging his Zanpakuto down with the force of an avalanche.

 _***SoD***_

As the battle began in his inner world Grimmjow was suddenly thrown back by a massive wave of spiritual energy.

The observers stood in shock, besides Aizen who had been expecting this, before Nnoitra spoke.

"W-what the hell was that!? That wave of energy was strong enough to rip the nearby structures apart." He observed, as the boulders and odd cylindrical structures surrounding the battlefield crumbled into pieces.

Suddenly Ichigo sprang forward slamming his sword into the ground where his opponent stood just a moment before and causing a crater to form. He quickly followed up by grabbing the Espada's face and slamming the man into the ground, causing a dust cloud to erupt from the force.

Grimmjow, in a moment of clarity, fired off a point blank cero, causing his opponent to leap backwards, just dodging the lethal attack. The blue haired man then charged at blinding speed with a vicious smile and a slash towards the boy's head, only to have his blade dodged and to receive a nasty slash across his torso.

"Something is wrong," Stark muttered out loud, as he watched the battle escalate. "He does not seem to be reacting like he was previously, he is more… aggressive, and his spiritual energy has also taken on a darker hue more like a Hollow than a Shinigami."

The comment grabbed the attention of the other members before another explosion erupted from the battlefield.

The two female Espada quickly turned their attention back to the fight trying to catch a glimpse of the boy who had grabbed their interest in such a short time.

As the battle continued to escalate Grimmjow found himself on the losing side and being thrown around easily by his opponent.

A few minutes into the battle, and after a particularly vicious blow, a gasp was heard from Nelliel as the others looked on to see what had caused her reaction. The young boy had just emerged from a cloud of dust, with a Hollow mask covering his face with his irises glowing with rage.

When Grimmjow saw this his eyes widened and he quickly pointed the tip of his sword behind his body, and placed his left hand on the blade, preparing to release his Resurreccion.

As the fight shifted in Hueco Mundo an even more intense battle raged inside Ichigo's soul.

 _***SoD***_

"Come on King, I am barely breaking a sweat here and you are barely keeping up!" The psychotic albino screamed as he slammed Ichigo through another building with little effort.

"H-how are you so strong?" The boy inquired as he tried, desperately, to catch his breath. "If you are in my soul, and are part of my powers, then I should be stronger than you… why can't I land even a single hit on you?"

"It is simple King in fact I can't believe that you are supposed to be the smart one here. It is the same reason that a horse, which is stronger than the King, is submissive. KILLER INSTINCT!" The Hollowfied being shouted.

"I have that killer instinct which you lack and because of this you will never beat me, you chose to hold back. Your doubt, your despair, and your kindness are all weaknesses which hold you back. I have none of these which is why I will always defeat you!"

As the Hollow spirit charged his container, swinging viciously, Ichigo was once again forced onto the defensive.

"You see Ichigo! You defend while I attack, you block whereas I lunge, and you retreat while I advance. This, above all else, shows who you truly are. YOU ARE AFRAID and your fear above all else is the source of your weakness!" The man screamed in a battle cry.

'He is right,' Ichigo realized. 'I have been so afraid of losing anyone else, of losing a fight, of failing that I don't even try. I run away just like how I was when I faced off against Urahara. Despite that man's manipulations he did have a way of seeing through me and into what I had to change about myself.'

Suddenly Ichigo stopped mid dodge and instead swung forward, cutting the Hollow version of himself deeply across his chest.

"Your right, I have been running away from so much lately, but not anymore I am tired of being pushed around and manipulated. I am going to show you why I am in charge and why you are the horse!" Once again the substitute Shinigami pressed his attack, slamming his fist into his opponent's stomach, before sending another slash across his doppelganger's chest.

Finally Ichigo let loose a terrible yell and flashed in front of the pale white version of him impaling the copy with his blade. Then reached out and took the sword from his hand.

"I believe this is mine, you bastard. Zangetsu belongs to me and will only be used by me." The boy shot a glare behind his opponent, directly at the man in a flowing black robe. "Do I make myself clear?"

At his declaration both the Hollow and Zanpakuto spirit smirked and gave a nod of consent before returning him to his body.

"It is about time" The defeated pale Ichigo muttered before looking back at the old man, who gave a nod of consent.

 _***SoD***_

Just as Grimmjow was about to declare his Zanpakuto release, Ichigo reached up and grabbed the Hollow mask, causing his opponent to pause in surprise. He then ripped the mask off before panting in exhaustion.

The teenager gave his enemy a smile before speaking, "I guess you win this round Grimmjow" before collapsing forward and into unconsciousness.

Before he hit the ground the boy was caught by both Nelliel and Harribel who sent Grimmjow a glare as if daring him to attack. Just as the Espada took a step forward, unsure of his own intentions, Aizen appeared between him and his prey.

"That is quite enough Grimmjow, I am declaring this match over as a tie due to Ichigo passing out, and the fact you were preparing to release your Resurreccion, which is not permitted during these spars." The man spoke with a firm tone, as if challenging anyone to question his ruling.

"Training will be canceled for the rest of the day, several of our officers need to recover and I am interested in speaking with our guest once he regains consciousness. Nelliel and Harribel, since you two seem to have grown… attached to the boy," Aizen began with a smirk before continuing, "I will entrust his safe return to his quarters to you. If you would be so kind to watch over the boy until he has recovered and inform me afterwards."

"Yes Aizen-San" both Espada responded at the same time, both sporting a light blush, before disappearing in a flash of Sonido, quickly followed by their Fraccion.

 _***SoD***_

Back in Ichigo's room Nelliel set the boy gently down on his bed while Harribel retrieved a pitcher of water and a small plate of food for when he awoke.

"Harribel-San," the other woman in the room spoke, "what do you think of Ichigo's fight, and his… transformation?"

"I am not sure" the woman in question replied. "I have never heard of a Shinigami being able to summon a Hollow mask like he did, along with his sudden change in personality and fighting style I would imagine something changed inside of him during the fight, though what it is I cannot say."

"Maybe he was exposed to the Hogyoku like we were…" the green haired woman muttered to herself, "he seems to be a cross between Shinigami and Hollow like we are which would also explain Aizen-San's interest in the boy. It would also mean that he is more like us than we realize." She whispered the last part before feeling her face heat up.

 _***SoD***_

The two Espada sat in a comfortable silence for an hour or so before a light groan alerted them to Ichigo's recovery.

"Ugh why does it feel like I was run over by a bus?" The boy asked, holding his head and slowly sitting up.

"You should remain still Ichigo, you took quite a lot of damage in the last fight. Although none of the injuries were serious you will be quite sore for a day or so." The dark skinned woman responded, with more emotion in her voice than she intended, before gently pushing him back down to a lying position with her hand on his chest.

An awkward moment followed as Ichigo took a few deep breaths to assess himself, missing the blush adorning Harribel's face and the glare that Nelliel had sent to her fellow Espada.

"I shall go and retrieve Aizen-San, he wanted to speak with you upon your waking Ichigo." The blonde female spoke, returning her voice to a neutral tone. She quickly vanished from the room, leaving Ichigo and Nelliel alone the latter of which subtly staring at the boy.

"So Ichigo… how do you like it here in Las Noches?"

"It is… different, not bad just hard to adjust to I guess. I am used to having school, and a schedule, and people around my age with me at all times so it is strange being here with all of you. I do really like spending time with you, Harribel, and your Fraccion though." The boy answered, and then paused as if pondering how to word his next question.

"Nelliel, why does Nnoitra seem to have a problem with you?"

The young Espada sighed before standing and walking to the window to gaze out in thought. Ichigo, thinking he had upset the woman, immediately stammered out an apology and told her to just forget about the question.

"No, it is okay Ichigo. Nnoitra, along with several other members of the Espada, see Harribel and I as weak due to our gender. Male Hollows tend to be physically stronger than females and since strength is the most determining factor of evolution early in a Hollow's life most females do not get past the Menos stage.

"Oh, I didn't know. I am sorry for bringing that up. I guess never really understood the idea of women being weak. It is an often held belief from the Living World as well though." Suddenly Ichigo burst out laughing as he remembered his previous life, earning a confused stare from the woman.

"There was this time that someone called my friend Tatsuki 'weak' for being a female. She ended up cramming the guy into a locker that was about three sizes too small for him."

Nelliel giggled at this as well, picturing Grimmjow being shoved into a small box by Harribel. It was then she noticed the depressed look Ichigo had on his face before remembering that Tatsuki was one of his friends that had been killed.

"Ichigo I…" she began before the door opened to reveal Aizen followed by Harribel.

"Oh I hope I am not interrupting anything, I wish to speak to Ichigo though about what transpired during his spar along with his future here. Could you give us some privacy my dears?" Aizen spoke with a voice that implied it was not a request so much as an order.

"Of course Aizen-San, I will meet up with you later if you wish to talk Ichigo." Nelliel gave spoke, giving Ichigo a quick smile before heading out with Harribel. Ichigo for his part gave a small nod to both women before redirecting his attention to Aizen.

"I assume you met with your inner Hollow during the match Ichigo?" Aizen inquired, getting right to the topic that hung in the air.

"Yes, how did you know though? Do Espada have inner Hollows as well?" the boy questioned.

"No but I have done research on similar circumstances such as yours in the past. They also acquired inner Hollows that would attempt to take control of their bodies. It is impressive that you were able to take control so easily though, I thought I would need to intervene." The Shinigami explained.

"Tell me Ichigo, would you like help taking control of your powers, and realizing your full potential? I can help you with these tasks and I would gladly do so, as well as include you in my future plans for the war. I will say this though both of these are relying on the condition that you do not aid the Soul Society in the upcoming battles."Aizen commented, before continuing on, "You have reached a crossroad Ichigo Kurosaki, and you must make a choice. One path will take you back home where you can either choose to stay out of the war, or join with the Soul Society against their enemies, and hope that they pardon you of your crimes. The other is to stay here and either keep out of the war, or join me and my Espada." Aizen summarized in a leader like tone.

Ichigo for his part remained silent, he knew that he would be forced to make a choice eventually and while he did not like the idea of war he knew that it would be coming whether he wanted it to or not, both sides were simply too different to coexist as they were.

"You do not need to make a choice this very moment, but the clock has begun ticking I'm afraid." Aizen spoke before turning to leave the room. "Above all Ichigo, you need to decide what you believe is right."

***A/N***

Woo another chapter done.

I have been getting a few opinions on things to include later on, from pairings to abilities that characters should or should not have. I have a few in mind that will probably not change but if anyone has any suggestions do not hesitate to either PM them or put them in a review.

As always:

If you have time to comment or favorite I appreciate it.

If not then I hope you simply read and enjoy.


	5. Bonding and Decisions

**Shadows of Deceit**

Bonding and Decisions

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorite, or followed my story!

***Still no ownership of Bleach, which makes me sad… and poor. ***

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo wandered through the hall of Hueco Mundo, contemplating what the next step in his life would be.

It had been a day since his battle and being stuck in a bed recovering so long was driving him nuts, so he had taken to simply walking around to get some exercise.

"What the hell am I going to do? I don't really care about either side in this stupid conflict but I don't want to see anyone get hurt because of my inaction. This is so damn frustrating! I never thought life would be so complicated." Ichigo lamented in frustration, talking to himself just to ease the overbearing silence of the fortress.

"Something on your mind Ichigo-San?" a male voice called out from behind him, causing the boy to leap about three feet into the air with a startled shout. Spinning around Ichigo saw a somewhat short pale skinned Arrancar that he recognized as the Espada Ulquiorra.

"Sorry, you scared me Ulquiorra-San. To answer you yeah, I have had a lot on my mind lately, Aizen-San wants to know what I will be doing in the upcoming war and it is just a lot to think about. What about you though? What has you wandering through the halls?"

"Wandering implies travel without a purpose, I am headed to meet with a fellow Espada of mine whose company I have come to enjoy as of late. It is a welcome change from my fellow comrades who can be quite… irritating at times." The stoic Espada answered before continuing on.

He promptly stopped a few steps past the boy though and glanced back over his shoulder.

"You seem to be acceptable personality wise though, if you wish to join us I would not be opposed. Perhaps it will help to calm your mind."

 _***SoD***_

As the two entered a new room, a lazy looking man, who was resting on a couch, opened his eyes and glanced at the two, his gaze passing over both of them before he brought one hand out from behind his head in a casual wave before returning to his previous state.

A younger female Arrancar, however, jumped up off of him and ran up to the two men excitedly.

"Hey Ulqi-San I see you brought someone new with you. Is that the new Shinigami that Aizen-Sama said was his guest huh huh is he huh?" The young girl happily questioned Ulquiorra as he stared back at her expressionlessly, before shifting his gaze to Stark who appeared to be ignoring the entire situation.

"HEY LAZY ASS! Get off your butt and come greet the new guy!" the young girl yelled at the apparently sleeping man and before becoming annoyed at the lack of response prompting her to run over and jump several feet into the air before crashing down on Stark's chest causing him to choke and fall off the couch.

"Hey come on… I was just starting to really get into relaxing." The now awake man stated.

"Hi there new guy my name is Lillynette Gingerbuck, I am the one and only Fraccion of Stark lazyass over there," she gestured with her thumb to her Espada who still had not moved from his spot.

Ichigo gave her a kind smile and replied "Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you. It seems like most of the Fraccion I have encountered so far have been the opposites of their Espada companion though." He mentioned thinking back to Harribel and her friends. Ichigo was brought out of his thoughts by Stark's voice.

"Alright alright, hey Ulquiorra and Ichigo how are you two doing?"

"Adequately I would say I ran into Ichigo-San here while making my way through the halls, I hope you do not mind that I brought him along. I assumed that he would be considerably more pleasant than most of the other company I could have brought." The other Espada responded, before taking a seat at a table set up near the center of the room.

"Yeah that's fine." Stark agreed before taking the opposite chair from Ulquiorra and taking out a Chess board to set up the various pieces, choosing the 'white' pieces as his own.

"So tell me Ichigo, how do you like Hueco Mundo so far? I know you haven't had much time to rest, especially with certain obnoxious little girls running around." At this last comment Stark shot a glare over at the girl in question who was sitting on a chair nearby swinging her legs back and forth with a happy grin as she looked between the two seated men and Ichigo.

"It's been nice, different that's for sure but I have met some really interesting people so far." Ichigo replied, also taking a seat to watch the game.

"I am surprised though that you have Chess in Hueco Mundo, I thought it was a game that only existed in the human world or maybe Soul Society since there would be deceased people who would know how to play." Ichigo spoke with a bit of surprise in his voice as he watched the two Espada begin their game.

"Aizen-Sama taught us when he first assembled the newest generation of Espada he said that it would be a good way to improve tactics and our ability to plan ahead in battles." Ulquiorra answered while keeping his sight focused on the game in front of him.

"Oh, so do all of the Espada play? To be honest you two are the first I have seen doing any type of recreational activity besides Harribel and Nelliel." Ichigo stated, already analyzing the game being played.

"A couple of those other lame-os play but Ulqi-San and Stark are the best by far!" The young girl answered in a proud tone.

"Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and Yammy do not have the patience for the game," Stark began, "Szayel and Zommari would be good but they don't have much interest for it. Baraggan feels that the Chess is 'beneath him' and a waste of his time. Nelliel and Harribel play with us occasionally, but only seem to enjoy it once and a while." Stark replied as he took one of his opponents's pawns only to have said Espada take one of his in retaliation.

"You two are really good and I bet that Aizen-San is a master of this game if he taught all of you."

"Indeed, I played against Aizen-Sama once. He managed to block me into a corner before I knew what was happening. At that point I could only move the way he planned for me." The shorter Espada affirmed, taking another of his adversary's pieces.

The game continued on for another ten minutes with brief conversation between the three until finally Ulquiorra announced checkmate on Stark.

"Good game both of you, I have the feeling that you two are fairly even when playing since it came so close at the end." Ichigo complimented the two men as they began packing up the game.

"Yeah, Ulquiorra usually takes the initiative while I am more of a defensive player though, so he tends to win a bit more just because of that though." The defeated player mentioned.

"So what else do you guys do besides play Chess?" Ichigo asked.

"Well the bum and Ulqi-San usually start with a game or two and then grab something to eat before the former takes another nap, and the latter meditates for a while. Sometimes when they are feeling really active they do some exercises." The female in the room responded.

"Ah, yeah I should probably think about getting into meditation myself, it might help with everything that is going on in my head and with everything I am trying to figure out right now." Ichigo muttered almost to himself.

Stark heard him loud and clear though.

"What are you trying to figure out Ichigo? I have heard that an occupied and conflicted mind hinders the ability to sleep and that is a fate I would not wish upon anyone. Perhaps if you talked about it you might find a solution?"

The other two Arrancar in the room nodded, Lillynette very quickly while Ulquiorra gave a single head nod.

"Aizen-San has told me that I need to make a decision for the upcoming war. I don't really want to fight at all but I feel obligated to Aizen-San and everyone here who have been helping me recover. The fact that I truly despise those responsible for my friend's fate is also pushing me towards fighting against the Soul Society. It is just that I am sick of fighting now, and putting my life on the line for things I do not understand or am not told about. It was fine when it was nice and simple 'go in save my friend, kick everyone else's ass, and leave' but now it is… not so simple." Ichigo replied after a few moments.

"It does not sound too complicated to me. We are not fighting for some great political victory, or for land, or any kind of complicated reason involving alliances and treaties like humans do so often. We are simply fighting for our survival. Soul Society will never allow Arrancar to exist. We are seen as a threat to them. Aizen brought us together and has a plan so we follow his lead and protect each other." Stark spoke in a sagely manner.

"He is right Ichigo-San, I understand that you know some of those who might join Soul Society's side in the upcoming conflicts, such as Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin but if you do not wish for their deaths after their manipulations of you then the best way to ensure that might be to join our side, and become stronger. If you do this you will be able to defeat them without killing them. Win to save lives, just like you did when you invaded the Soul Society to save your friend." Ulquiorra added, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in realization.

"Your right, I was planning on just staying here out of the war… but if can become strong enough, I can save more lives through action than I ever could through inaction." Ichigo spoke with a determination in his voice, for this first time in weeks.

"Just remember Ichigo, you don't have to do this alone. Harribel and Nelliel already seem ready to fight to the death to protect you, if the glares they were giving Grimmjow during your spar was any indication, and I know that I will fight by your side as well, you seem very similar in spirit to me." Stark spoke with confidence and he glanced over at Lillynette and Ulquiorra.

"Heck yeah Ichi-San! We will show those other Shinigami losers what we can do!" The young girl practically squealed with excitement.

"Indeed you have proven yourself most reliable, and interesting Ichigo-San, I will also have your back in the upcoming conflict, knowing with confidence that you have mine." The last of the Espada affirmed with a nod.

"Thank you for your help, I really needed that, if you three would excuse me, I need to talk to Aizen-San about his offer for training." Ichigo bowed to each of the three Espada, Lillynette giggling when he did so to her, then turned and left to seek out the leader in question.

After a moment or two of silence Stark spoke up asking the question that had been circulating among the Espada since the boy's arrival.

"How powerful do you think that boy truly is, if Aizen has taken an interest in him at such an early stage in his development?"

"I do not think any of us know, perhaps not even Aizen-Sama. After all he was able to force Grimmjow into his Resurreccion with just his Shikai and, according to all information, a few months of training.

The two sat in contemplation, before Lillynette shouted, breaking the silence that hung in the air.

"I'M HUNGRY! Let's go get some food."

This caused Stark to let out a sigh in agreement. Ulquiorra gave only his trademark nod as the three left the chambers.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo quickly located Aizen's throne room, having spent some time memorizing the map Stark had given him. After his arrival he knocked on the door and waited for a response, hoping that the man in question was not busy or out in a different section of the fortress.

"You may enter Ichigo." Aizen's voice sounded out from inside the room.

As he opened the door and walked inside he found the Arrancar leader seated at his throne, with Gin and Tousen seated nearby, they had apparently been discussing something of importance.

"My apologies Aizen-San, Gin-San, and Tousen-San, I did not wish to interrupt you." Ichigo bowed to the three in regret.

"Quite alright Ichigo, we were simply wrapping up the conversation, what brings you to my chambers?" Aizen asked, but Ichigo could see in his eyes that he already knew what the boy would say.

"After speaking with some… new friends, I have decided that I wish to take you up on your offer to join your side of the upcoming conflict. I want to protect everyone that I can still call a friend and save as many lives as possible. Because of this I would like to ask for any training and assistance that you are able to provide for me, at my current level I fear I would not be much help." Ichigo spoke with determination, but the three former Captains could tell he was a bit down trodden with his last statement.

"Very well Ichigo, you training will commence tomorrow morning. We are going to start with a very important step that Urahara saw fit to ignore. You will be forcing your inner Hollow into complete submission." The Arrancar leader said with a smile slowly appearing on his face.

***A/N***

Yeah another chapter finished!

To those of you who read the story mentioned in the prologue, the Chess scene was obviously inspired by 'IIIIIIIIII'. I feel as though Stark and Ulquiorra would have a somewhat close relationship since all the other Espada are annoying, sociopathic, or boring as crap.

I was going to have another chapter or two of normal Shinigami training before this upcoming part but quite frankly I am kind of excited to write the next chapter and I did not want to put it off any longer. It will be, again, inspired heavily by the previously mentioned story, so most of the credit goes to 'IIIIIIIIII'.

As always:

If you have time to comment or favorite I appreciate it.

If not then I hope you simply read and enjoy.


	6. Battle for Reason

**Shadows of Deceit**

Battle for Reason

Thanks for all the Reviews, Favorites, and Follows!

***I do not yet own Bleach, but someday my evil plans will come to fruition and I will! Buhahha! ***

 _***SoD***_

The next morning found Ichigo standing nervously out in the desert of Hueco Mundo, before him stood Aizen, his two Shinigami associates, the ten Espada, and the now introduced Privaron Espada.

The first of these was a tall man with short black hair and a ridiculously goofy personality, to Ichigo at least, his name was Dordoni. Next was a man with a bright orange afro by the name of Gantenbainne. Then was an odd looking being with a long thin helmet covering his head. He went by the name AAroniero. Finally stood an attractive younger looking woman whose name was Cirucci, and it was her that was complaining about their current situation.

"Why the hell are we out here again? I mean I am grateful you have included us in your current plans Aizen-Sama but why are we wasting time on this worthless Shinigami? He's a freaking kid and from what I have heard he got his ass beat by Grimmjow." The former Espada exasperated.

"It is true that Ichigo was overwhelmed during his spar with the seventh Espada, however after his Hollow powers began to awaken the tables turned in his favor rather quickly. Once we awaken these powers and allow him to master them I have no doubt he will become an incredibly powerful ally in the upcoming war against the Soul Society." The Arrancar leader answered.

"Uh I hate to interrupt but how exactly does this whole 'confronting my inner Hollow' thing work?" The boy in question asked of no one in particular.

"The process is actually very simple Ichigo," Aizen began, "normally your inner Hollow will force you into confrontations during life or death situations but this time we will have you directly enter your inner world and force him into submission. If what you said about your earlier confrontation is correct then the entity views you as weak and scared of conflict. Thus by doing this you will prove your strength over it. At that point I will use the Hogyoku to consolidate you into a single being. The merger should remove its influence over you but allow you to access its full power."

"Does that mean that Ichigo will become more like us, like an Arrancar?" Nelliel asked with a hopeful tone that caused Aizen and Gin to smirk a bit.

"That is something even I cannot answer Nelliel, the Hogyoku can break down the barriers between Hollow and Shinigami, it also responds to the will of the user and the desires of those around it. I have seen what it can do to Hollows, and to Shinigami undergoing Hollowification but Ichigo is a special case. His inner Hollow was naturally created rather than implanted, so the end result might be something that no one has ever witnessed before." The former Captain stated, with noticeable excitement in his voice.

"That is all very thrilling Aizen-Sama but why did you want us to be present for this?" AAroniero asked.

"Ooooh I can answer that question," the silver haired Shinigami gleefully responded, "when a creature undergoes Hollowification or goes to confront their inner Hollow, their body is placed into a berserker state attacking anything around it that can be possibly perceived as a threat. Obviously since Captain Aizen is planning on using the Hogyoku and studying the process he needs to be free from attack, which is where all of you come in." Gin finished with a smile forming on his face.

"So our job is to kick his ass while he awakens his powers?" Grimmjow slowly asked, before a wide grin appeared on his face. "OH HELL YES! This is gonna be awesome, round two you little shit!"

Ichigo's face paled at the thought of fighting the deranged man again before Aizen placed his arm out blocking the Espada's path.

"Do not worry Ichigo, the rules are the same as during the spars: no Resurreccion, no fatal attacks, and no serious injuries are allowed. The reason we have so many Arrancar here is simple, I do not expect any of them to be able to handle you for very long with such restrictions placed on them. So we will be switching out who is fighting every few minutes so that no one is pushed into making any… rash decisions or is killed by Ichigo."

The last statement by Aizen elicited a few chuckles from the group, causing Nelliel and Harribel to send glares at the parties in question.

"It is good to see so many of you confident in your abilities," Tousen spoke, "then this should be no problem for any of you, think of it as a test of restraint rather than of your own abilities. A truly great warrior does not show off his abilities too early to the enemy, instead he keeps them hidden for when the time to strike is right."

"Well put Tousen, alright Ichigo you have the most difficult role in all of this I am afraid, first assume a Jinzen stance and enter your inner world, there you will need to confront and defeat your inner Hollow. Once this is done I will activate the Hogyoku which should fuse him into you." Aizen then gestured for Ichigo to begin.

"Um what exactly is Jinzen?" The Substitute Shinigami asked, earning a shocked look from Tousen and Gin.

"Urahara never taught you how to use Jinzen?" Asked a surprised Tousen.

"No? Sorry like I said the only training I really did with Hat-n-Clogs was sword fighting." The boy answered sheepishly.

"Quite alright Ichigo, Gin could you instruct Ichigo on the proper form while I ready the Hogyoku and Tousen prepares the battle rotation." Aizen spoke as Gin walked forward and took Ichigo a dozen feet from the others.

 _***SoD***_

"Alright Ichigo-San this is pretty easy to do. First take up a relaxed, meditative position then place your Zanpakuto near you and relax your mind. You will need to focus on visualizing your inner world and picture yourself traveling there." The smiling man instructed.

"Oh by the way, during your time at Soul Society were you ever visited by a blonde haired woman by the name of Rangiku Mastumoto?" Gin inquired.

"Not that I recall, I did not have many visitors though and none of them were females. I do recall a blonde Shinigami at the 'trial' though. She seemed a bit depressed."

"I see," at this statement a wave of sadness seemed to cross the former Captain's face as he contemplated something before his smile reappeared. "Well enough of that talk, good luck Ichigo-San and don't worry we will make sure that none of the scary Espada kill you." Gin grinned as he turned and walked back towards the group while giving Ichigo a small wave.

'Well that is comforting…' Ichigo thought, 'Okay this should be easy enough, just calm down and enter my inner world to face a deranged Hollow hell bent on killing me for being weak, while my real body gets the crap beat out of it by people stronger than the one who effortlessly tossed me around last time, sure this should be a breeze.'

The Shinigami proceeded to impale his Zanpakuto into the ground in front of him being sitting down and closing his eyes. He pictured the tall skyscrapers of his inner world and felt himself begin to relax, despite the feeling of everyone's eyes being focused on him.

 _***SoD***_

When his eyes opened again he gazed at the familiar scene of Zangetsu standing on a pole, his inner Hollow staring at him, and the skyscrapers covering the landscape.

"Welcome back Ichigo," The sword spirit greeted, his voice echoing as usual, "I did not expect you to return so soon, especially when you are not in danger."

"Yeah King, what the hell is going on? Shouldn't you be trying to hang out with your new buddies, or maybe those two super hot chicks that keep eyeing you up?"

"Wait who is eyeing me up? Never mind I am here to challenge you, and this time it is on my terms not yours." Ichigo spoke with a confidence in his voice, as he unsheathed his sword and charged his Hollow counterpart.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo assumed his seated position all eyes were on him. Then Grimmjow gave a crazed smile and stepped forward from the group, pulling out his Zanpakuto, and cracking his neck in preparation. He had been the first to volunteer to fight the boy, wanting to get him when he was at his most rested, and figuring it would give the best fight before he became tired and wounded.

"Alright Ichigo let's see what you can do." The Espada assumed a fighting stance as he waited for his opponent to make a move meanwhile the boy continued his meditation.

As the minutes ticked by Grimmjow became increasingly bored, and thus irritated, until he finally snapped.

"OH COME ON! I was expecting a fight you weak piece of crap, not an hour of standing here staring at your sleeping ass!" As he shouted Grimmjow dropped his stance and began pacing back and forth murmuring to himself about 'lame ass Shinigami'.

The rest of the Espada also began to relax their guard and several of them smirked at how easily Ichigo had riled up the blue haired man, hopefully intending to do so.

 _***SoD***_

Just as the Espada had begun chatting amongst themselves a sound drew their attention back to the field. The bluenette looked up just in time to react and raise his sword, blocking the vicious blow that Ichigo, now with half of a Hollow mask covering his face, sent his way.

Before The Arrancar could reply with a witty comment though, the Shinigami pulled his blade back and slammed it down again, with both hands this time, sending Grimmjow flying back through a nearby structure, creating a loud crash and a plume of smoke.

The Espada countered by using Sonido to quickly appear behind the Shinigami, but found his attack already parried, as if opponent had been expecting it, and was once again thrown back a hundred feet before finding his attacker already in pursuit with a vicious grin adorning his face.

As the battle progressed Grimmjow continued to fair worse and worse at the hands of the Hollowfying Shinigami. Soon it was all the Arrancar could do to defend himself enough to avoid any fatal blows.

Just as it appeared that the blue haired Espada had been forced into a corner, Nnoitra came barreling into Ichigo full force, shouting "MY TURN!" and launched the Shinigami into a nearby pillar where he continued his battle after 'tagging himself in'.

 _***SoD***_

"What's wrong king? You were talking all that good shit just a few minutes ago about forcing me into submission and claiming your body once and for all. Now I am tossing you around like a rag doll!" The doppelganger and Ichigo clashed blades once more resulting in Ichigo being thrown back into another building.

"Damnit! I don't get it I was able to beat him last time. What the hell has changed?" Ichigo pondered out loud in frustration.

"What's changed!? It is simple King your desire has changed! Last time you wanted to survive, it was a fight to the death, nothing more, nothing less. Now though, you want all the power and control permanently and I aint just going to hand over everything so easily. You brought this mess on yourself and if you want the power you are gonna have to prove it a hell of a lot better than when you were in that stupid spar."

The psychopath charged once again and this time pushed Ichigo through several buildings before the boy managed to stop him.

"It is quite obvious Ichigo, you are trying to claim all of your powers before you even know _why_ you are trying to do so. You want all of our power, all of our abilities, and all of our strength but you don't know what to do with it once you obtain it. It is no different than a child wanting to become an adult without realizing what kind of life and responsibility that entails." The stoic Zangetsu called out.

 _***SoD***_

The battle to keep Ichigo in check had gone from bad to worse. Ichigo had continued to Hollowfy during his fight with Nnoitra and had quickly gained a lizard like appearance. This change caused him to become even more unstable and powerful.

Where Grimmjow had lasted close to ten minutes against the Shinigami, Nnoitra had only gone for six, much to the previous Espada's amusement.

Nnoitra had overconfidently charged head first shouting about how he would not even take a single scratch with his impervious Hierro, and it seemed to have been effective for a few minutes, until he was proven wrong by a slash that had managed to draw blood on him. From there each attack did more and more damage until he had to be saved.

After Nnoitra, Zommari flashed in to challenge the boy. He had managed to battle for around eight minutes using his speed to rapidly dodge the berserkers' attacks before a surprising burst of Sonido had caught the Espada off guard, and earned him a nasty cut across his chest for his efforts.

Afterwards Aizen had warned all of the Espada about something he had come to notice, Ichigo's growth rate and adaption.

"Ichigo seems to be able to adapt to his opponent in a way that is quite amazing," the man explained. "I would suggest that all of you take this battle very seriously, the longer these fights go on the more powerful the boy will undoubtedly become."

Next the four Privaron Espada charged the boy, Dordoni had lead the charge shouting about the glorious battle they would have, he was swatted away with an almost annoyed expression by Ichigo's tail. Gantenbainne used the distraction to appear at Ichigo's side and aimed a slash at his body, which the boy deflected and landed a bunch into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Cirucci had appeared above, while Aaroniero used Sonido to move behind their opponent. They had tried for a dual axis approach to confuse and catch him off guard, however the timing had been a split second off and Ichigo had grabbed the man, and after landing a quick head butt had thrown him into the female Privaron who was too close to dodge the body.

Before Ichigo could follow up on his opponents he found himself sword locked with Ulquiorra.

 _***SoD***_

The Hollow doppelganger let out a yawn as he absently picked at his finger nails while waiting for Ichigo to pull himself out of the rubble that he was currently buried underneath.

"Comeon King I like a good battle as much as the next guy but this is boring. You have no chance of beating me here as you are now."

"Bull! I will defeat you because I have to!" The boy shouted as he charged his opponent once more, and was thrown into another building just as casually as before.

"I told you, there is no intent behind your swings, no killer instinct in your movement. You learned how to fight with everything you have during our last battle but you never learned what to use this strength for. Without that goal, without that inner reason you will always lose to those who are truly committed. Let me show you the true difference between us King!" the pale white creature shouted.

Then to Ichigo's confusion his enemy pointed his sword directly at the substitute Shinigami, and gave him a devious smirk.

"Bankai!"

Ichigo watched in horror as his counterparts clothing changed to a longer while cloak and his blade shrunk to a daito. With a smirk his opponent vanished and appeared in front of Ichigo almost instantly, cutting him across his torso.

"But-but how? How can you use Bankai before me?" the wounded boy sputtered out.

"Isn't it obvious King? I am better than you! I will always be stronger than you, faster than you, and more powerful than you. All because I know what I am fighting for, to me it is as clear as day."

With that the battle began again, with Ichigo fairing even worse than before.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo battled his 'inner demon' the Espada were not fairing much better.

Ulquiorra had managed to fight against the boy for over twenty minutes before Ichigo's blade had transformed into a smaller version, his spiritual power, strength, and speed dramatically increasing as well. The Espada had been forced back into a defensive battle and was quickly driven into a corner and became too injured to continue.

The current battle was a two on one, with Nelliel and Harribel against Ichigo. Aizen had decided it would no longer be effective for one on one battles and thus commanded the two females to fight together.

The battle had raged for over a half an hour now.

Aizen had been correct in that the teamwork the two were utilizing during the battle had saved them several times from an early defeat.

As the battle progressed, however, and their opponent became increasingly more powerful the two realized it would not be much longer before one of them would be knocked out of the fight. Between his power increases, their reluctance to fight him, and the restraints the Arrancar leader had placed on the fight it was only a matter of time.

With a surprise kick Ichigo managed to launch Harribel backwards several hundred feet, separating the two Espada and giving the berserker an opening to land a blow against Nelliel sending her spiraling to the ground.

He quickly followed up the attack and stood above Nelliel, his sword raised to finish her, just as Harribel charged to intervene, along with Ulquiorra and Stark.

Nelliel knew that they would never reach them in time though, and due to her wounds was unable to stop him as well from delivering the death blow.

"Ichigo…" she sadly cried out as his blade lunged toward her heart.

 _***SoD***_

"Comeon King time is running out! Do you really think your body has been standing around in Hueco Mundo? Hell no, we have been kicking ass and taking names! If you don't win soon, you are going to let your new friends down just like you did with the others." The Hollow cackled.

Ichigo attacked quickly, desperate to win now.

'I should have known DAMNIT! Why the hell didn't I think about that? Aizen-San told me that the Espada would be fighting to keep me at bay but I didn't think I would be able to win against any of them.'

His Hollow opponent cut through Ichigo's sword in their next clash with a bored look on his face. He then grabbed the teenager by the throat, preparing a finishing blow against him.

"Face it King you failed again, all because you never had a clue as to how to use these powers, how disappointing." The Hollow pulled his blade back, meaning to split Ichigo in half with his next attack.

Ichigo watched as the blade approached him, seemingly in slow motion as his life flashed before his eyes. It was all happening again: the failures, the deaths, and all because of him. As the blade neared him his eyes snapped open as he heard a voice, as if carried by the wind.

"Ichigo…"

It was Nelliel and suddenly the answer became clear to him. Reaching up he grabbed the Hollow's blade with his bare hands, stopping it in its arc.

His opponent's eyes widened in shock.

"This blade belongs to me," Ichigo said with confidence and ripped the sword from the Hollow's hands watching as the blade shifted from white to black in his hands, his own clothing becoming a black version of his opponent's. "And this battle is mine!" Ichigo shouted as he impaled the man before him.

 _***SoD***_

The blade stopped, just inches above Nelliel's skin.

The Espada looked up in bewilderment as the crazed yellow eyes that had been present on Ichigo's face throughout the fight vanished and once more morphed into the deep brown that she found herself becoming lost in.

A second later Stark appeared behind the boy and looped his arms underneath Ichigo's shoulder, to keep the Shinigami's arms outstretched and safely to the side. Ulquiorra flashed to Ichigo's left a moment later and grabbed his arm while Harribel was on his right, restraining his sword arm.

Just as the other Espada converged on Ichigo Aizen, who had been analyzing the fight so far, felt a sudden surge of power from the Hogyoku, and lifting it up watched in awe as it activated on its own accord, emitting a dark purple light which flooded the area where the five combatants struggled. The light soon grew denser and more concentrated, to the point where it blocked out all vision. Soon the glow took on a swirling miasma like appearance, as the others looked on in shock.

Just as quickly as it had begun the light faded leaving the five combatants visibly shaken but physically okay. Ichigo had been returned to his former Shinigami state.

Aizen quickly motioned for the other onlookers to follow behind him, and flashed to the battle ground.

With a single Shunpo Aizen appeared before the, now exhausted, substitute.

"Ichigo? How do you feel?" The ex-Captain asked, still on guard should the unexpected happen.

"I feel… complete." Ichigo spoke, a confidence in his voice that suited someone far older than the boy standing before them.

Aizen took a glance, his eyes widening in surprise, at the four Espada standing closely by the boy.

"What happened to your Hollow masks?" Tousen spoke, asking the question that was flowing through everyone's minds.

In shock the Espada released Ichigo and moved their hands to where the Hollow mask remnants once were. A moment later the two female Espada's let out a gasp as Ichigo opened his eyes.

"I-Ichigo… y-your e-eyes…" Harribel stuttered out in a way that would have caused the other Arrancar to stare at her had it not been for what she was referring to.

The eyes that Ichigo now looked back at them with bore a deep purple color.

***A/N***

Wow that chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would be, I was going to end it at the 'Bankai' part but I just really wanted to finish this up, and as nice of a cliffhanger as that would be it just didn't sit right with me in the end.

Again lots of creds go to 'To Find the Heart' as it was the major inspiration for this story.

Please be aware, that the rating on this story is changing to 'M'. The language has been escalated during this chapter, and there are some upcoming parts that will become graphic enough that I have decided to up the rating just to be safe.

Hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing


	7. Answers and More Questions

**Shadows of Deceit**

Answers and More Questions

Thanks for all the Reviews, Follows, and Favorites! I do truly appreciate each one.

**Last time I checked I did not own Bleach, and that was around 30 seconds ago so… **

 _***SoD***_

"This is… quite unexpected Ichigo, along with your change in eye color, and the apparent removal of the Hollow holes and mask remnants of the four Espada I must say this has been quite an eventful day." Aizen spoke, his stoic voice masking the thoughts racing through his head as he tried to figure out the implications of all of the changes.

"Captain Aizen, there is something else I have just noticed, or rather a lack of something." The silver haired man beside him commented. "Ichigo-San's Reiatsu and Reiryoku have completely vanished. If he was not standing in front of us I would say that he is no longer here."

With this comment all of the other Espada, along with Tousen stared wide eyed at the boy, trying to figure out what exactly had happened to him.

Ichigo for his part seemed completely unperturbed by this discovery and gave a simple shrug while looking around, as if seeing his surroundings for the first time. As he did so the Arrancar leader openly stared at him, studying his every movement and appearance as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

"Aizen-Sama, with all of the injuries received during the 'event' perhaps we should retire to Las Noches for the time being and give the Espada time to rest and recover." The dark skinned Shinigami wisely suggested.

"Ah of course Tousen, all Espada are given the rest of the day off to heal their wounds. There is to be no sparring until I have given the authority to do so." Aizen commanded as he gave a slight glare towards Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and Yammy, as if the comment was meant specifically for those three.

"Ichigo, after you have recovered I wish to speak with you about your changes, this includes you four as well." The ex-Captain gestured toward the four Espada who seemed to have formed a private group with the boy over the past few days.

"Of course Aizen-Sama" Ichigo answered, surprising many of the Espada who had only heard him refer to their leader with the less formal 'san' greeting. Aizen himself raised his eyebrow at the young boy's remark but said nothing.

With his order given the various Espada and rebels began to flash back towards the fortress, until only Ichigo and the two females remained. The Arrancar were giving Ichigo a worried look as he had been staring out into space, as if looking at something that no one else could see before the two disappeared after their comrades.

Ichigo let out a sigh before vanishing as well.

 _***SoD***_

Back at the meeting hall Aizen arrived and began making his way towards his personal chair, relaxing as he knew he would easily outpace the others, until he saw Ichigo already seated in a relaxed position.

"Ichigo? I didn't realize you had left with me this new stealth ability you possess is quite impressive."

"Thank you Aizen-Sama, but I didn't leave exactly with you, I saw something interesting and decided to watch it for a bit." Ichigo shrugged out an answer as the other Espada arrived.

When Ichigo's two female friends appeared in a burst of Sonido they turned to face Ichigo wide eyed.

"Ichigo… when did you pass us? We left after everyone else and you were still there." Harribel asked in shock.

Once again all eyes turned to the boy who simply gave a shrug and turned his gaze towards the Espada, staring as Aizen had done at him, as if studying them. Many of the higher numbered members, including all of the Privaron, shifted uncomfortably under his observation before he stood to leave the room.

"By your leave Aizen-Sama, I wish to get some food. I have just now become aware of how much today's events have exhausted me. I know you wish to speak with me but if you would allow me to take care of this first I believe I will be in a much better position to answer your questions." Ichigo asked respectfully, as he directed his attention toward the man seated at the head of the table.

For his part Aizen himself became a bit wide eyed, since when did Ichigo talk like this? Believing he would need to figure out the exact effect that the Hogyoku had on the boy Aizen gave a confirming nod before dismissing the Espada recuperate.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo returned around twenty minutes later with two large plates of food, one for himself and the other he laid before his leader.

"I do not recall seeing you at breakfast this morning Aizen-Sama so I thought you might be hungry." Ichigo responded to the questioning gaze given to him.

"Ah thank you Ichigo, so how exactly are you feeling?" Aizen asked, wanting to slowly get to the important questions without bombarding the, if he could in fact still be labeled as such, substitute Shinigami.

"I feel… different." The boy being questioned answered before taking a bite of something resembling an apple. "I am not in pain or anything of that nature. Instead I feel as though I am complete, like I was always missing something before but never knew it."

With this Aizen gave a slow calculating nod.

"Based on what we can no longer sense from you and your recent show of speed I would say that the Hogyoku has converted all of your Reiatsu into strength and speed. This is why none of us can detect your presence, there is simply not any energy left to detect. It is an impressive ability I must say but a waste of your true potential unfortunately." At his last statement Aizen let out a sigh of disappointment. He had been hoping that Ichigo would continue to grow in power to become the greatest weapon he would command in the upcoming war.

Ichigo, for his part, gave Aizen a curious glance as if not understanding his meaning before returning to dinner.

"Are you still in contact with your Hollow side or Zanpakuto?" Aizen asked, hoping for them to still exist. Perhaps they were just dormant?

"No they are gone," Ichigo spoke in a saddened tone, he had never liked his inner Hollow, but not having him there made him feel a bit lonely now, especially without Zangetsu. "The last thing I remember from my inner world was them fading into the air, giving me a last goodbye and telling me to be safe."

"I see, I am sorry Ichigo, I was only trying to help you gain control over your powers, I did not realize the full impact it would have on you." The suddenly sullen leader spoke apologetically.

"That's okay Aizen-Sama, I think that they would not have it any other way, in this fashion they can protect me even more than they could before. They no longer exist because they have truly become a part of me, which probably why my personality seems a bit off." Ichigo mused, while scratching his chin.

Aizen himself had not even thought of that possibility yet, but it made sense. He had just assumed that the after effects of the Hogyoku's power had changed the boy's personality but this made far more sense based on what he knew about Ichigo's inner spirits this, however, lead to another question.

"If this is true shouldn't you also be a bit aggressive due to your inner Hollow's personality?" Aizen questioned, almost more to himself than to the person seated next to him.

Again Ichigo gave a shrug as if it was not really important at the moment. "I think it is more of a… compromise between the two. They wanted to protect me above all else and so the black Zangetsu gave me his skill, analytical ability, and calculating mind. While the white Zangetsu gave me his instincts, his creativity, and adaptability."

Aizen gave a small nod before doing a double take on Ichigo. "Wait you said 'black and white Zangetsu'? What do you mean by this?"

"I mean that in the end I realized they were both Zangetsu, at least to me. They were both trying to protect me, both trained me, wielded my Zanpakuto, and were the source of my powers. They were just two halves of the same coin."

"Interesting, do you know what happened to your irises Ichigo? Why they are suddenly purple instead of brown? As well as the fact that your hair is now longer than it was before your battle. I believe it is due to the Hogyoku's influence but if you have any thoughts on this I am sure they would be most insightful."

"I didn't realize my eyes had changed color until it had been pointed out to be honest. I am guessing you are correct though. The Hogyoku must like the color purple or something. As for my hair, I thought it might be time for a change." Ichigo gave a small, Aizen-like chuckle.

"Oh my my, be careful Ichigo-san If we change your hair and outfit around a bit we would be hard pressed to tell the difference between you and Captain Aizen if you start laughing like that." A voice called out from the other side of the room as Gin slowly strode in, a large smile on his face.

"Ah Gin what brings you here? I thought you would be taking a little rest." Aizen asked, eyeing the man as he approached from the opposite side of the table that Ichigo sat on.

"I never got my turn against the boy and all this excitement has got me bouncing off the walls so that means there is no chance for sleep right now and I think the Espada are the same way. Despite your orders most of them seem to be either pacing in their rooms or in the halls." Gin said as he directed his gaze towards Ichigo. "You have even managed to get our Primera to become restless, quite a feat I must say. Nelliel and Harribel have tried several times to subtly ask where your personal quarters were in order to check on you." This last part was spoken with a different kind of knowing grin that caused Aizen to chuckle and Ichigo to give a small, friendly, smile.

"Yeah they seem to have become quite interested in me huh? I just need to figure out a way to decide which one I am more interested in 'pursuing' and not lose the other's friendship" Ichigo responded causing Gin to almost open his eyes in surprise.

"Ah yes you might not know this yet Gin, but Ichigo seems to have fused with his two inner spirits. I believe that one of their two personalities has finally allowed him to perceive the opposite sex and their potential interests in him. Do not worry too much about this though Ichigo, Hollow relationships are unlike the kind that humans, or even Shinigami, have. Let's just say that polygamy is not as rare in Hueco Mundo as it is in the World of the Living." With this statement Ichigo broke into a coughing fit, spraying what he had been drinking onto the floor before giving a surprised look towards the two men, who of course were now grinning in a way that reminded him a bit of his father.

"Well I believe that is all of the questions I had for you at the moment Ichigo. You still look worn out so I would recommend that you return to your room and rest. Also if possible I would recommend that you do not take part in any kind of 'strenuous' activities with any of the Espada. I know that many of them probably want to spar with you… in one way or another but until we ascertain your true capabilities and you gain control over your powers I would highly advise against it. We will also look into preparing you a private section of Las Noches for your own use over the next few days." Aizen spoke, the same knowing smirk on his face while Gin's became even larger, if possible.

"One more thing before you go Ichigo, it appears as though your Zanpakuto has changed. Do you have any thoughts on this?" Aizen asked noticing that Ichigo's blade had still not returned to its oversized form.

"Yeah, this was my Bankai state back when Zangetsu was with me. He seemed a lot happier to be in this form so I figured I would just stay this way from now on, plus it beats carrying around something so large you have to put it on your back."

Ichigo gave a nod and thanked the two young Arrancar girls that came in to clear his plates away, before he vanished. But to Gin and Aizen's shock it was not Sonido, or Shunpo, he simply disappeared from sight.

Gin sent a look wide eyed look, which ironically is still with his eyes almost closed, to his leader. The look asking the question that hung in the air 'what the hell was that!?'

Aizen just shook his head in amazement, "That boy seems to just keep creating more mysteries today doesn't he?" before motioning his former lieutenant to take a sit and discuss the upcoming months.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo appeared back in his room less than a second later and proceeded to lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a very eventful day, without a doubt one of the most he had ever had in his short life up until then.

He was considering going over everything in his mind, to try and figure it all out, but that had rarely helped anything in the past, plus something told him that his Hollow Zangetsu would have smacked him in the face and told him to stop worrying about everything, to just relax and take life one step at a time.

 _***SoD***_

Elsewhere in the fortress Stark paced nervously back and forth in his room, his every move watched by his small companion who had taken a seat nearby and stared him curiously.

"Stark… what's wrong? What the heck happened to your hole and mask?" The small girl inquired.

The man in question barely acknowledged her as he continued his pacing. Something like this was unheard of and he had no idea what to make of it.

'What the hell is wrong with me? I feel… whole like there was a piece of me missing up until earlier today that I never knew about until now. Am I even an Arrancar anymore? I can still Sonido, I still feel my power, in fact I feel more powerful than ever. But now something else is there, that loneliness that has always been present, even when I was with the other Espada… it's gone. Now I feel a connection with Ichigo, more than just friendship, almost like he's my brother.'

 _***SoD***_

As Stark continued his pacing Ulquiorra was going through a similar contemplation.

'Something has happened, the emptiness that once filled me is no longer there, now there is a strange feeling when I am with Ichigo and the others. It was brief but when we were all assembled… it felt like a family. I need to figure this out before it begins to affect my combat ability, but would that be so bad? Is it so wrong to want for something more than to fight, to hope for peace?'

 _***SoD***_

While Ulquiorra continued his pondering Nelliel was attempting to explain the situation to her two Fraccion.

"No, listen Ichigo did not 'rip my mask off' and he did not 'inappropriately fill my hole' none of this was his fault, Aizen used the Hogyoku on him which resulted in this." Nelliel gestured to her head.

"Soooo what you're saying is, that Aizen is the one who inappropriately touched you!" Dondochakka exclaimed.

Nelliel let out a sigh and shook her head, it wasn't that she didn't care about her Fraccion, quite the opposite they were her first real friends. It was just that sometimes dealing with them, and their antics, could give anyone a headache and she had just been through a long and peculiar day.

"No, what I am saying is that it was no one's fault it just sort of happened."

"That's what they always say! 'It just sort of happened' and you know what happens next? SOMEONE GET'S PREGNANT!" Pesche exclaimed, causing an eerie silence in the room as Nelliel went through several shades of red and Dondochakka's jaw literally hit the floor.

 _***SoD***_

Finally, Harribel sat under the scrutinizing gaze of her three Fraccion. After she had explained what had happened the three had become stunned into silence, as if waiting in would turn everything back to the way it had been.

"Lady Harribel…" Cyan began, "You seem, different. Like you have changed somehow is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything is great, you three don't need to worry I am perfectly fine, better than fine actually. I feel stronger than before and it's as if… I found something I hadn't realized I was missing." Harribel responded, with more emotion on her face than her Fraccion had ever seen her with.

"Lady Harribel, about Ichigo… he is kind of cute isn't he?" Rose hinted, a small smirk forming on her lips.

"Wait a second what are you implying, that Lady Harribel would become infatuated with this Shinigami boy?" Appaci asked in a shocked tone.

The three glanced over at their leader who had taken to staring at the floor suddenly glad that her face was mostly covered and wishing she could pull her collar up even further.

The silence that followed seemed to creep through the halls themselves as the various Espada took to resting their bodies from the ordeal many of them had gone through earlier in the day.

 _***SoD***_

As Tousen entered the meeting room he spotted his leader and Gin sitting in their usual spots. After greeting them both with a nod he took his place at Aizen's left side.

"You summoned Aizen-Sama?" The blind man asked respectfully of the man in question.

"Yes Tousen, as Gin and I have been discussing, this morning has changed the entire outlook of the war. With Ichigo's powers apparently gone we need to find a way to best utilize him and the other Espada. Stark, Ulquiorra, Nelliel, and Harribel all seem to have received a power boost along with a slight change in their appearance they still appear to be Arrancar just of a different caliber than the others. What we need to do now is figure out exactly what these changes have given the five of them, and how best to train and perfect these new weapons in the war against the Soul Society."

"I would like to begin training Ichigo when he has recovered in both Zanjutsu and Hakuda, since these are the only things we are sure he is still capable of. Until we know more about his powers we will assume he is no longer a Shinigami or Hollow in terms of capabilities." Aizen continued before Gin spoke up.

"Captain Aizen perhaps we should have another spar in a few days, this might be the only way we have to ascertain what Ichigo and his new found friends are capable of and how best to train them."

Aizen gave a confirming nod and dismissed his two associates to begin preparations.

'Ichigo Kurosaki… what exactly have you become, and what are you capable of? One this is for sure, the next few months are going to be very interesting.' Aizen pondered with a smile.

***A/N***

More character building and such in this chapter, along with questions that needed to be answered, and more that needed to be brought up.

Ichigo's hair is now the length he had confronting Aizen for the final time… because I think he looks badass that way.

Ichigo's Zanpakuto will stay in his Bankai state for the rest of the foreseeable story. The reason for this is that he never really fought in his Shikai state after obtaining it anyways so why bother changing it now?

For those of you, who might be worried, don't be. Ichigo has not completely lost his powers as Aizen has assumed, his powers have changed but this will be explored in the next chapter or two.

Hope all of you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	8. A Difference of Opinions

**Shadows of Deceit**

A Difference of Opinions

Thanks for all the views, reviews, and of course the favorites!

***Tite Kubo still owns Bleach, not I. ***

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Ichigo awoke and decided to take an extensive tour through Las Noches, having never really done so before, save for getting lost his first day.

Being that it was early in the morning he expected most of the Arrancar to still be sleeping, or at least resting, from the previous day's activities.

He was wrong.

 _***SoD***_

Baraggan huffed as his thoughts went to the Shinigami in question, 'If he is still a Shinigami' he huffed in annoyed way. 'What the Aizen sees in that weakling is beyond me. Why the hell should we bother with him? He is just another so called Death God trying to show he is better than us, I'll show him, I'll show them all who the true God of Hueco Mundo is.' A small smirk appeared on the elder Arrancar's face, frightening the Fraccion who were awaiting his orders as always.

"Though what he did to the other four is somewhat disturbing." The Espada mused out loud, "Stark, Harribel, Nelliel, and Ulquiorra no longer possess Hollow masks or holes, as if they are no longer Arrancar at all. If this is indeed the case then I shall claim the number one spot in the upcoming spars, proving myself better than all the others. Only Arrancar have the right to be Espada after all!"

The old man's ranting ended with a shout as he slammed his fist down on the table he sat at, splintering it into pieces and causing his Fraccion to grimace and hide from his wrath.

As the Segunda Espada began to calm down his subordinates gathered in a connected chamber to talk about the recent addition to the fortress, and the affect it was having on their master.

"It is unusual that a newcomer should create so much distress for Master Baraggan" Poww began as he took a seat in a meditative position on the floor, "I am not sure what to make of this 'Kurosaki' person but the rumors going around is that he seems to possess some kind of Hollow powers as well as being a Shinigami, most strange."

"Yes it is very odd but it could also be very beautiful." Charlotte spoke next, taking the reins of the conversation. "His Majesty is right though, if our fellow Espada have lost their lovely powers then it is time for him to show all of our fellow Arrancar who the true God is."

Abirama quickly interrupted his fellow Fraccion with a snarl, "Beauty doesn't mean shit on the battlefield you freak, and I'll tell you what we should do about this though. We should find this Ichigo loser, cut him into pieces, and then shove those pieces back up his ass until he pukes them out!" The Arrancar ended loudly.

Findor let out a sigh at Abirama's outburst and put himself into the quickly escalating conversation. "First of all that makes no sense Abirama, how can you cut someone to pieces but leave their insides intact? Secondly I think we are all overreacting a bit too much about this new character. All we have are rumors and nothing more. It sounds more like we have been given false information and that he is just a strange looking Arrancar who went into his Ressurrecion when Aizen-Sama told him not to."

"Psh I think you are giving this new guy too much credit, it sounds like he isn't worthy enough to even clean his Majesty's boots much less receive a number from Aizen-Sama" Nirgge said with contempt. "Although why the hell we can't seem to get a few more females around here is beyond me, I mean would it kill Aizen-Sama to create a few more, even just to have some eye candy around?"

"There you go again Nirgge acting like any female is ever going to be interested in your fat ass." Ggio finally spoke up. "I mean obviously they would be too busy spending all of their 'free time' with me to even give you time to get a glance in." As he said this, the Arrancar shot his fellow Fraccion a smirk and the arguments began again between the three, nothing agreed upon or settled in the slightest.

 _***SoD***_

"Bah this is boring!" Yammy shouted as he walked through the halls looking for something to do, or break. "I can't believe that we have to wait another day until we are allowed to fight again WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO TILL THEN!?" the ogre like man exclaimed, scaring off several Arrancar who had just entered into the hallway from a different direction.

"I mean it's not like this Ichigo brat is even that impressive, sure he beat up Grimmjow but so what? Grimmjow probably shouldn't even be considered an Espada anymore with how badly he has been getting his ass kicked lately."

"Is that a fact?" A voice called out from behind the Espada, causing Yammy to freeze in his step and slowly turn to face the voice, which he had already identified.

"Tell me Yammy," Grimmjow smirked as he approached the large man, "What makes you think you would fare any better against the boy? In fact with the way you were talking it sounds like you want to challenge me for my rank. Is that true? Does little Yammy want to try and play with the big boys? Hell I barely consider you an Espada, considering you are the only one with two digits." The blue haired man snickered as he continued walking toward the man in question.

"Alright Grimmjow, you want to act tough? Then let's settle this, Aizen-Sama said no sparring but this won't be a spar, I am challenging you to a battle for the rank of Septima. What do you say? Do you accept or are you going to use that empty skull of yours to realize you are outmatched?" The larger Arrancar boasted.

Grimmjow just gave him a disturbing smile "Let's do this fatty." before proceeding to kick the larger man through a nearby wall and charge after him while laughing maniacally.

 _***SoD***_

Nnoitra and Tesra, on the other hand, were busy on the opposite end of Las Noches.

"This is bullshit Tesra. This new jackass just comes in here and gets welcomed by Aizen-Sama with open arms like he is the best thing since the Hogyoku or some such crap. I mean sure he seems to have some power since he managed to injure me, but that's only because I was stuck being 'handicrapped' while he was allowed to basically use a Ressurrecion, of course he would be able to injure me like that, and the fight was complete…. CRAP!" The Espada yelled as his Fraccion nodded in agreement with him.

"Of course Nnoitra-Sama, this Ichigo person you speak of seems like an overhyped fad that simply has Aizen-Sama interested because he is different." The blonde agreed.

"And another thing!" Nnoitra continued on, ignoring his subordinate, "Now Stark, Ulquiorra, and the two women seemed infatuated with the boy like he is the reincarnation of Aizen-Sama! I mean so he beat a couple of us up in a fixed fight, so what? It doesn't prove shit! I'll tell you what proves, that the Shinigami is weak! Anyone who can gain respect from a woman like that has to be weak, because they are weak! Next time we spar I will show Nelliel who the true Quinto Espada should be when I rip that damn tattoo off her back!"

"Yes Nnoitra-Sama, then you will defeat Harribel and show the women their proper place in the hierarchy, below the men as servants." Tesra replied, trying to impress his idol by agreeing with him, not realizing that the Espada wasn't even paying attention as he continued his tirade.

 _***SoD***_

'Such an interesting turn of events these few days have been' Zommari pondered while in meditation. 'First Lord Aizen brings another putrid Shinigami to Hueco Mundo and then this Shinigami turns out to have a form of Hollow powers, very interesting. Though I cannot say that I am happy with having another one of their kind in Las Noches, at least this one is not as bad as the others by showing a Hollow side to himself, hopefully that will make him at least somewhat useful in the upcoming war.'

'I suppose though if Lord Aizen is intrigued by him then he will not be completely useless, perhaps he will be kept as a pet or an experiment to be used by Szayel? Though I must say it was interesting the way he was able to injure me, despite my obvious superiority in speed. His luck is quite astounding' The Arrancar mused as he went back into a calm relaxed state despite the chaos currently taking place in the fortress.

 _***SoD***_

"How many more revelations will we have in the next few days I wonder?" Szayel spoke aloud happily inputting data into his computer system.

"I mean first a new _ugh_ Shinigami shows up, then Aizen-Sama says the boy is interesting. After that the child is defeated by Grimmjow only to turn into a Hollow and then turns back! What a wonderful research subject he could be! Think of all the things I could learn from him, if we could turn all Shinigami into Hollows then we could purge all the worlds of their non-Hollow infestations and let the true masters of this world rule!"

Cackling madly the scientist gleefully leapt over some equipment to a different computer station to analyze some results. Reading through the information caused his eyes widen in shock.

"Inconclusive?! What the hell do you mean inconclusive!? The boy obviously used some crappy Shinigami trick to beat us back to Las Noches there is no other possible explanation! Well I guess that just means we will have to gather more data." Suddenly a sadistic smile appeared on the Espada's face at the idea of gathering more information on the boy.

 _***SoD***_

Grimmjow's Fraccion were busy sitting in the main hall, enjoying their breakfast, when they heard the first crash from the battle between their leader and the tenth Espada.

The group continued eating and ignored the sound, chalking it up to just another typical day at the fortress.

"Sounds like Grimmjow-Sama has gotten into another fight with Yammy, shocking." Yylfordt muttered between bites. "Which is quite surprising considering they are both such calm, level headed individuals." the sarcasm oozing out of his last statement.

"Indeed, although I am more interested in Aizen-Sama's guest than another one of the master's pointless fights." Shawlong responded, rubbing his chin in a thinking manner. "If what I have heard is true he is quite the enigma, first losing to Grimmjow-Sama and then defeating him and several of the other Espada in a gauntlet like fashion while undergoing a Hollow-like transformation."

"I wish we had been there to see it" Edrad said. "I would have enjoyed fighting such a worthy opponent. Especially if he is able to defeat our leader."

Di Roy quickly butted into the conversation that was going on, "Yeah but I think the brat just got lucky, I mean he is just a Shinigami after all, and I heard that he got his ass handed to him pretty darn easily before he started 'cheating'".

"What do you mean by 'cheating' Di Roy?" Shawlong asked, along with a nod from Nakeem, who had suddenly taken an interest in the discussion.

"I heard that the Espada were denied the right to use their full power or to seriously injure the kid, but he was allowed to use whatever he could. Sounds an awful lot like Aizen-Sama was trying to make the kid seem more powerful than he actually is."

The thought of this occurring put the various Arrancar into a bad mood as they continued to eat and discuss in a quiet tone, no telling who might be listening.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile the four Privaron Espada were having a small meeting of their own, to discuss what had occurred the previous day.

"This is horseshit!" Cirucci screamed at no one in particular, "how the hell did this new brat just walk in here and start kicking us around like it was nothing, It's bad enough we were demoted for those artificial freaks but now a stupid Shinigami reject starts beating us up? This is so unfair." Finally blowing off enough steam Cirucci sat down and began pouting.

"True the Nino did give us quite the defeat but he was still struggling to control his powers it seems. Now that he has taken control I believe he will become even greater than before, and we have the honor in knowing that we were able to help him achieve this." Dordoni spoke with a sage nod afterwards as if what he had said completely finished the conversation.

"Hah! As if some Shinigami could ever exceed me." Aaroniero laughed, "I am the pinnacle of potential, it doesn't matter what Aizen-Sama says about the boy, I will only grow in power as he eventually reaches his limit. I should be the Primera, with my abilities I will never reach any true boundary!"

"You are too overconfident my friend and that is your greatest weakness. Yes you can continue to evolve but when was the last time you chose to do so? You have been stagnant in your growth just as we have in our development since we became Arrancar. This boy though seems to have relit the fires of passion in several of the Espada and I hope they will take this and grow even greater than before." Gantenbainne proclaimed with enthusiasm.

"It's still bullcrap…" the female in the room muttered, having apparently ignored the conversation in her anger.

The others merely sighed.

 _***SoD***_

"Oh my my, it appears that your little 'training exercise' has caused some dissention in the ranks Captain Aizen." The Silver haired Shinigami spoke happily as he observed the various interactions from his monitoring station. "What will you do about this I wonder? If it is allowed to continue they might even try to do something about this new 'threat' as they perceive in the boy, and without training he could be injured or worse."

"I wouldn't worry about that Gin I am sure Ichigo will be able to handle anything that the common Fraccion can throw against him. Speaking of which where is our guest? His ability to hide his power is becoming quite inconvenient as far as watching out for him." The ex-Captain in charge inquired.

"It looks like he is about to walk in on the fight between Grimmjow and Yammy as we speak Captain Aizen, I hope he is not injured too badly, you know how 'excited' those two can get when rough housing around." Gin answered.

"Quite, we should intervene before anyone should be injured, I have not yet ascertained Ichigo's level of power and he might still need time to completely develop." Aizen said before leaving to protect the former substitute should he need it.

 _***SoD***_

Just as Gin assessed, Ichigo, still wandering through the halls, walked into a scene of chaos as Yammy and Grimmjow threw each other around the various rooms, damaging everything in sight and leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance Ichigo took a nearby corridor, hoping to avoid any further confrontations, having just woken up not long beforehand. Add to the fact that he had not eaten in some time he found himself not in the mood to deal with the violent Espadas.

"YOU!" Grimmjow screamed out, spotting Ichigo walking away from the scene. "Damnit Yammy get your fat ass off me, I have a rematch that promises to be way more interesting than the beat down I am giving you." The blue haired Espada shouted at the man who had attempted to put him into a submission hold using his brute strength.

"Huh? Oh hey it's that Shinigami brat! How about this Grimmjow, we teach the kid some respect and then get back to our fight? Why let a golden opportunity to teach the 'pecking order' to the new guy slip away?" Yammy responded with a grin, to which Grimmjow returned with his own.

Ichigo quickly found himself blocked, Grimmjow in front of him with Yammy behind him in the corridor. He raised his eyebrow in question as if asking an unspoken question before letting out another sigh.

"Can I help you?" The Shinigami questioned.

"Listen kid I think you need to understand something." Grimmjow said with a grin, "We have a hierarchy here and you need to learn it before you get yourself hurt, we wouldn't want Aizen-San's new pet to get injured after all."

"IT GOES YOU, THE DIRT, THE WORMS INSIDE THE DIRT, MY SHIT, THE REST OF THE TRASH, THEN THE ESPADA! IT'S CALLED THE PECKING ORDER BITCH!" Yammy practically screamed in Ichigo's ear, with such excitement in his voice that the boy thought he was about to have an aneurism.

Ichigo turned to face the giant, a questioning look in his gaze before answering him. "Look I don't really have the patience to deal with either of you right now, so could you just let me pass, I am getting kinda hungry."

"Oh this is going to be so much fun, ROUND THREE ASSHOLE!" Grimmjow shouted as he leaped toward the boy cackling madly.

 _***SoD***_

Just as Ichigo was being confronted, Aizen appeared along with Gin and Tousen in the hallway to intervene in the boy's behalf. He stopped when he saw the outcome of the two on one 'battle' that had just started. Gin and Tousen on the other hand were speechless.

Ichigo had caught both the attacking Espada with one hand each, and was holding them back effortlessly.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Aizen spoke with a glare directed toward the two Espada.

Ichigo Released the two as they leapt back and began trying to explain their actions.

"Well you see Aizen-San Yammy and I were just having a friendly… discussion about our rankings and then Ichigo here walked into the area and…" Grimmjow began before Yammy interrupted.

"PECKING ORDER!"

Aizen let out a sigh as Tousen did a face palm and Gin snickered.

"Oh? Then let me explain the rest of the pecking order to you Yammy, above the Espada in your 'Pecking Order' is me. Since I am at the top what I say is law, and I specifically told everyone that no one was to do any sort of combat until I said so. Along with this I have also mentioned that Ichigo Kurosaki is my guest and is to be treated as such." Aizen explained, his voice rising slightly in volume as he let out some of his spiritual pressure, forcing the two Espada to their knees. To everyone's surprise though Ichigo seemed unaffected by it.

"Normally I would allow Ichigo here to continue this battle but I fear that he might accidently kill the two of you, and while this might be amusing it is also detrimental to the war effort to lose soldiers to one's own allies. So I will ask you to hold off any further conflict until tomorrow Ichigo."

The Shinigami in question nodded his head in acceptance and continued down toward the meeting hall.

Aizen himself gave one last glare at the two Espada and then moved to join the boy, with Gin and Tousen following quickly behind.

***A/N***

Woo! That was a hard chapter to get started. I had gone through several first drafts but I hated all of them until I figured it would be a nice change of pace to write in some of the characters I haven't used yet.

I have started adding in a bigger gap between 'scenes' to try and make the story easier to understand, it was especially important in this chapter with all the bouncing around I did.

I apologize if anyone takes offense to the language and opinions of the Espada in this chapter, I have been trying to keep them in character and I feel as though some of them are sexist, rude, assholes who met their end far too easily in the manga/anime.

As always I hope you enjoyed reading as I did writing.


	9. Rules of Engagement

**Shadows of Deceit**

Rules of Engagement

Thanks for all the reviews, likes, follows, views, etc.

***I still don't make any money on Bleach, or any other anime for that matter. ***

 _***SoD***_

As they various Arrancar gathered in the meeting hall following breakfast Aizen glanced among them noting that most, if not all, of them had recovered from their matches from the previous day.

"Welcome my dear Espada and you as well Ichigo. As many of you may be aware there was a conflict earlier this morning between two of you." At this Aizen sent a glance at the two guilty members in the room.

Grimmjow simply avoided eye contact while Yammy muttered something that sounded like "pecking order".

Continuing his sweeping gaze Aizen went on with his announcement. "Since those two Espada seemed to have recovered enough to break my rules and proceed to fight inside of Las Noches I have deemed that the rest of the Espada are most likely fit for battle as well. If any among you are not then you will be permitted a reprieve. Otherwise we will begin the sparring to find out the new fighting capabilities of the Espada, as well as Ichigo, later this afternoon. I would suggest you all rest up so that everyone is ready for their matches in six hours, dismissed."

Aizen, along with his two Shinigami subordinates, promptly rose and left the room for parts unknown, while the Espada began to disperse as well.

"Ichigo,"

The boy in question turned to look toward his four newly acquired Espada companions.

"Nelliel," the teenager replied.

"Would you like to spend some time together before the spars?" The green haired beauty continued.

"That sounds nice thank you." Ichigo agreed, with the stoic look still on his face.

 _***SoD***_

The five proceeded through the halls to the relaxation room, where Stark and Ulquiorra frequented for their weekly chess games.

Stark immediately claimed the couch while the rest took comfort on a semicircle of chairs nearby so that they could all communicate easier.

"So Ichigo, how have you been feeling since yesterday?" Harribel asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Different," Ichigo responded, again lacking the normal emotion in his voice, and causing the two female Espada to flinch.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ulquiorra directed his attention at the Shinigami, having noticed the reaction the two Espada had from his answer.

"Yes," again Ichigo answered while acting more like Stark or Ulquiorra than his normal self.

With this response even the lazy Espada himself opened his eyes and sat up. Looking around the room he noticed that both of the girls had suddenly found the floor very interesting and Nelliel was looking very downtrodden.

"Ichigo… no offense but you seem to be acting a lot like me lately. Not that it is a bad thing, but you just seem distant since yesterday and if the atmosphere in the room is any indication the others have noticed as well." Stark spoke, gesturing towards the confused and worried expressions the others wore.

At his comment Ichigo opened his eyes and sat up to look at the others, seemingly for the first time, with a small frown forming on his face.

"I didn't realize it had gotten that bad and I am truly sorry for worrying all of you. There has been a lot on my mind lately and the recent… changes have been hard getting used to."

With a relieved sigh the others in the room became aware that his usual emotional persona had returned, as a grateful smile adorned his face.

"Wait a second, I said it wasn't a bad thing to be acting like me. What do you mean 'it had gotten that bad'?" The Primera inquired in an annoyed tone, causing the others to laugh at his misfortune.

"So Ichigo, are you nervous about the upcoming spars? I know you haven't really had a normal one yet." Nelliel spoke up for the first time since entering the room.

"Not really, I mean I can't be unlucky enough to have three bad outcomes in a row right? Plus I have been feeling a bit pent up and anxious lately, like I need to cut loose instead of tiptoeing around."

"Well I am certainly interested in seeing what you are capable of now, perhaps Aizen-Sama will even allow you to spar against one of us." The short dark haired Espada said with interest.

"Maybe, I just know I am ready to start real training for once. I haven't really had any since Rukia had me hitting tennis balls with Hollow faces drawn on them." Ichigo laughed, remembering the good times he had with his deceased friend.

"Why would you be hitting tennis balls with Hollow faces?" Nelliel asked in a bewildered tone.

"Well they weren't exactly Hollow faces, they were these cute little bunny faces that she had drawn to help me target specific parts of a Hollow. I will say this though the cute faces she had drawn don't quite do justice to you two." With that Ichigo flashed a charming grin towards Nelliel and Harribel.

Nelliel immediately let out a girlish giggle while Harribel could only hide her light blush underneath her collar, meanwhile Stark tried in vain to suppress his smirk at the attention being directed towards the two girls, and even Ulquiorra had a faint smile at their predicament.

"I wonder though Ichigo," Stark began, not wanting to miss a chance to continue the teasing. "How will you fair if Aizen wants you to do battle against these two again? You might have to resort to hand to hand combat, even wrestling the two into submission."

His comment was the final straw as Nelliel's entire face turned completely red, blood slightly dripping out of her nose at the image, while Harribel flashed behind the Primera.

"Pervert…" the dark skinned Arrancar muttered out as she flipped the couch, taking Stark with it.

Ulquiorra and Ichigo began laughing at the Espada's misfortune as Stark crawled out from under the furniture, while over exaggerating his injuries.

"You are so cruel to me Harribel." The Espada whined.

"And I can see why Lillynette spends so much of her time beating on you." Came the reply from the offending Arrancar.

"Speaking of which, where is the little troublemaker?" Ichigo inquired.

"Oh she was taken on a little 'field trip' by Harribel's and my Fraccion. Apparently since we have been spending so much time together they were all getting a bit jealous and decided to ditch us for the day." Nelliel replied.

"Harsh, I hope they don't get into trouble." Ichigo spoke in a concerned voice, though he hadn't had much bonding time with any of the Fraccion, he saw how important they were to his friends.

"Ha yeah right, I just hope they don't cause start any fights which inevitably make my life more difficult." Stark sighed, knowing in his gut that their little 'outing' would somehow lead back to him.

"Well we wouldn't want you to miss any of your relaxing time." Ulquiorra spoke with a slight smirk.

"You know I am not sure that all this time Ulquiorra is spending with you three is a good idea…" Stark started. "Your sarcasm is starting to rub off on him, and having you three gang up on me is bad enough, I don't need another one on your side."

The others just laughed.

 _***SoD***_

Time seemed to pass quickly after that and before the five realized it they were being summoned by Aizen to the front gate of Las Noches.

"Now my dear Espada, since the last area we had chosen was damaged yesterday we are going to select a new spot, this situation also offers a good first lesson for you Ichigo." The Espada leader declared, directing his attention to the teen in question. "We will proceed into Hueco Mundo and once we have an area in mind I will have one of the Espada spike their spirit energy. After this you will proceed to our location and identify which Espada used their energy. I also plan on using this to help determine how fast you actually are." Aizen explained.

Ichigo gave a nod and a smile before watching as the Espada and the three Shinigami, disappear in a flurry of Sonido and Shunpo.

Then he waited.

A few minutes after leaving Aizen came to a stop a good distance from the fortress, then waited for the others to arrive. Shortly afterwards he recognized the familiar sound of Shunpo and Sonido behind him as his followers appeared.

"This seems to be a good location." Aizen confirmed as he glanced around. With a good amount of various obstacles and terrain elevations it would provide a decent proving ground for testing out the changes to his Espada, and seeing Ichigo's capabilities.

"Now then Zommari would you kindly spike your spiritual energy. Since Ichigo has not had much interaction with you it should provide a good opportunity for him to learn to differentiate between signatures." Aizen commanded.

The Espada gave a nod before spiking his energy slightly. Ichigo appeared instantly, as if he had been there the entire time.

"You rang Zommari-San?" Ichigo smiled as the others stared at him wide eyed. Even Aizen appeared shocked at Ichigo's arrival, once again without any energy signature from him.

"Impressive Ichigo, you seem to be able to move vast distances instantaneously and still you exhibit no energy that is detectable." Aizen praised the boy.

"Now then we will begin the tests, normally I would allow for volunteers…" Aizen began as Nnoitra began stretching in preparation for his normal challenge to Nelliel. "But in order to change things up a bit and receive non biased information I will be selecting the sparring partners."

The eye patched man looked as if he was about to protest, but a knowing glare from his leader silenced him before he had the chance to do so.

"First up will be Nelliel against Yammy." With this surprising statement both Yammy and Nnoitra looked as if they were going to protest, one since he was still sore from his scuffle with Grimmjow and the other since he had a long standing feud with the woman.

Nelliel simply gave a nod and walked toward the battlefield with a sulking Yammy following behind her.

'Interesting, apparently Aizen still has not forgotten the incident between Yammy and Grimmjow from this morning and intends to teach them some consequences.' Gin thought as he smirked, content to watching the rebellious Arrancar get their dues.

After the two had made a good distance from the group Aizen called out to begin.

 _***SoD***_

Yammy quickly took to the offensive by launching out a barrage of Balas, which Nelliel gracefully began dodging, weaving between the attacks in a manner that reminded Ichigo more of a dance than a battle.

As she avoided the attacks the green haired Espada began making her way toward her opponent until she was right in front of him and launched a slash towards his chest, holding back enough that he could block the blow without doing serious damage to him.

"Bah you damn woman!" The large man shouted, charging towards her to engage in close combat.

The difference in their styles quickly became obvious to Ichigo. The male Espada preferred a brute force approach, swinging with all of his strength and leaving gaps in his defense. Nelliel on the other hand preferred to dodge and counterattack in a fluid like motion, she would barely even parry the Ogre-like Arrancar's blade, but the boy figured that might be just for this enemy, knowing that he focused on strength above all else.

Soon, though, she grew tired of the battle and sent a devastating kick to his back, after spinning around a vertical slash attempted by the man, throwing him to the ground.

Yammy pulled his face out of the dirt long enough to send a glare at the woman before charging a Cero and firing it at her in anger, forgetting about her signature skill.

As the beam approached, Nelliel opened her mouth and swallowed the beam, and then gave a condescending smile toward the enemy Arrancar. Immediately afterwards she surprised the rest of the Espada and charged her opponent, rather than redirecting that attack like everyone thought.

Ducking under a powerful horizontal attack the graceful Espada spun, unsheathing her sword and delivering a slash across the larger man's chest.

Instead of just being a normal cut a wave of energy seemed to flow out of her sword, slamming into Yammy's chest and heavily damaging him before sending him rocketing backwards in a red flash.

 _***SoD***_

"That's enough Nelliel," Aizen commanded as a strange Arrancar with an animal skull covering his face went to bring Yammy back to the group. Ichigo had noticed him before, standing in the background at the last two spars as well.

"That Ichigo is Rudbornn. He has the ability to create an infinite army of followers. They are known as the 'Exequias' and make him useful in such situations." Aizen answered the unspoken question, "I must say though that your spar was quite impressive Nelliel, not only do you seem to be stronger and faster but that technique at the end was entirely new." The man commented, hoping that the young woman would fill in the gaps that he was already analyzing.

"Yeah about that Aizen-Sama, when I swallowed the Cero it felt… different than it normally does, almost like I absorbed it rather than just storing it. After that I released it in my sword swipe, sort of a test run I guess." Nelliel replied shyly.

"Impressive, that could be a very powerful technique especially if it can be expanded upon. I suppose it is due to your new found 'change' from your interaction with Ichigo. Hopefully the other three will have similar enhancements as well." Aizen spoke in an excited tone before announcing that the next match would be Ulquiorra and Grimmjow.

Again, there was some grumbling from the lower ranked Espada but Grimmjow reluctantly moved out onto the field, not about to throw away a chance to fight despite his earlier encounter.

"Begin" Aizen called out, once the two combatants had reached the area.

 _***SoD***_

Grimmjow gave a smirk towards his opponent, who remained emotionless.

"So Ulquiorra, it looks like we are going to finally settle the tension between us. Of course this is mainly due to the fact that I am going to beat your face in and teach you and your new found friends some respect." Grimmjow laughed, while only gaining a small eyebrow raise from the stoic Arrancar.

"Well fine since you are going to stand there and stare at me I will start off this little battle of ours!" The bluenette shouted as he charged towards his opponent, unsheathing his sword while charging a Cero in his left hand as he did so.

Ulquiorra parried the slash with his own blade and dodged the blast that Grimmjow had aimed at his head. He then twisted the blue haired Arrancar's arm and sent a knee into his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs before flipping over his opponent and slamming him into the ground with his still held arm.

"Gahh you damn bastard!" The enraged Espada cried out in pain and he used Sonido to put some distance between the two.

'It looks like Ulquiorra favors hand to hand combat, while his opponent is another berserker fighter.' Ichigo concluded as the battle continued with Grimmjow trying different directions and combinations of brute force and speed, all meeting with the same result, him being tossed around like a rag doll.

Finally, the feral Arrancar had enough and, using Sonido, appeared behind his opponent while mixing his blood from his hand with a charging Cero.

"GRAN REY CERO!" Grimmjow shouted as he fired the attack at point blank range.

"What is that?" Ichigo asked to no one in particular as the attack fired.

"It is known as 'Gran Rey Cero' it is a stronger version of the normal Cero that results from an Arrancar mixing his or her blood with the original attack." Aizen, again, answered him.

As the Shinigami gave his explanation to Ichigo Ulquiorra, having a small epiphany, charged his hand with a strange green energy before punching through the attack, and stopping his fist just before it reached Grimmjow's face.

"I believe you should surrender, before I am forced to give you a second Hollow hole in the middle of your skull." Ulquiorra said, returning the smirk.

"Yeah yeah I give…" Grimmjow sulked before returning with the victor to the others.

 _***SoD***_

"Another impressive battle, very nicely done Ulquiorra, and perhaps now Grimmjow and Yammy have learned a valuable lesson about breaking my rules." Aizen sent one last glance at the two in question before directing his attention back to the palest Espada.

"I am curious about that last attack you used to punch through Grimmjow's beam though. It seemed a bit like what Nelliel had done before but did not quite match a Cero's signature." Aizen inquired.

"It is a technique I just created I call it **'Palma Rayo'.** I figured it out after watching Nelliel's technique and found I was able to use a weaker version of my Resurreccion's ability in this form as well. Obviously a byproduct of Ichigo's influence." The Espada answered.

"Interesting, you also seem to have increased in power since your last spar. Being able to dodge a point blank Cero is no simple task." Aizen praised the pale man.

"Well now that those two fights are over with, is there anyone who wishes to fight next?" Aizen asked before Nnoitra immediately proclaimed his usual challenge.

"I don't care how strong she has gotten! I'll fight Nelliel for the rank of fifth Espada and this time I will show her that men are always superior to the weaker sex!"

"Well if that is how you feel Nnoitra I will give you a chance to prove it." Aizen spoke with a small smile. "Since Nelliel has already had her fight you will be paired up with Harribel."

Nnoitra paled for a moment, being defeated repeatedly by the fifth Espada did not help his confidence in being able to defeat the third. Especially if she also had a power increase. But his masculinity quickly kicked in, overriding his logic.

"Alright bring it on! Third seat is even better!" Nnoitra confidently spoke before using Sonido to appear in the already used area.

Harribel only gave out a small sigh, and receiving an apologetic smile from Nelliel, went to meet her opponent on the battlefield.

 _***SoD***_

"Begin!"

After the declaration Nnoitra began to cockily circle his opponent, looking at the dark skinned woman lecherously.

"You know we don't have to fight, we could do a different kind of sparring. A woman should be more concerned about keeping the men happy rather than pretending to be warriors." Nnoitra spoke confidently as he continued to circle.

Harribel, having grown tired of dealing with him disappeared in a burst of Sonido before appearing in front of her opponent, and punched him square in the face.

The blow caused the Espada to be launched backwards and spiraling into an oddly shaped structure and causing it to collapse.

After a minute Nnoitra emerged from the rubble, with his face bleeding in several spots, and focused his anger towards the observers. Several of them had taken up snickering at "taking a punch so well" and though he couldn't tell with her collar, he was fairly sure Harribel had an amused smile on her face.

"Do you wish to continue Nnoitra? I would hate to continue bruising your sensitive ego, thought I hope it is stronger than that Hierro you are so proud of." The female Espada called out, loud enough for the others to hear.

Nnoitra proceeded to charge her screaming about how he would "never lose to a woman." Harribel simply dodged out of the way of his attacks, and after drawing her sword quickly slashed back, drawing blood each time.

'She fights like Nelliel, dodging until there is an opening. Only unlike Nelliel who seems to dance around her opponent in a fluid like manner, Harribel acts more like lightning, striking back hard and fast while favoring her speed.' Ichigo analyzed as he continued watching the battle.

Soon Nnoitra found himself panting heavily and covered in blood. Meanwhile Harribel had yet to receive so much as a scratch.

With a final roar of frustration Nnoitra began charging up a Gran Rey Cero with his tongue.

Harribel, realizing this appeared in front of him and placed her fist against his chest which fired out a point blank pressurized water bullet.

The resulting attack blasted her opponent backwards into the ground, the damage prohibiting him from standing back up.

This time the woman lost her patience and appeared above the man with her sword to his throat, as if daring him to continue.

"Bah fine until next time you bitch." Nnoitra exclaimed as he surrendered.

 _***SoD***_

Again Aizen sent out Rudbornn to help the injured Espada back, much to the Arrancar's annoyance.

"I was not aware that you were able to use your water manipulation abilities outside of your Resurreccion state Harribel." Aizen stated.

"I was not either at least until today." The young woman stated, sneaking a glance towards Ichigo, which Aizen took notice of.

"Impressive fight as always, I hope that you will be able to continue developing this new found ability of yours." Aizen complimented before letting his gaze fall on the last Espada he wanted to participate.

"Stark I believe you are up."

The Espada stepped forward, curious about whom his opponent would be.

"I think that a closer fight should be conducted now, Baraggan would you please step into the battle field with Stark." Aizen spoke.

"Bah! why should I lower myself to battle with someone who is not even an Arrancar? Stark, along with the rest of them, are now beneath me thanks to this child." With his last statement he sent a glare towards Ichigo, who met it with a bored expression.

"Baraggan this is not up for debate…" Aizen began as Ichigo interrupted.

"Actually Aizen-Sama if Baraggan is too afraid of Stark I will step up and fight him." He said with a competitive smile on his face directed toward Stark, who returned the smile.

"I am not afraid! I am the Lord of…" Baraggan began before being interrupted himself.

"Very well Ichigo, now that we know the Espada have kept their Arrancar abilities this will be a good test for both you and Stark." Aizen responded with a nod of approval.

 _***SoD***_

Stark appeared out in the battlefield in a burst of Sonido, only to find Ichigo waiting for him with a large grin on his face.

Stark let out a chuckle at the boys antics before adopting a combat stance, with Ichigo following suite.

"Begin!"

***A/N***

I hope that is enough of a cliffhanger to wet everyone's appetites for the next chapter.

As you all can see, the 'new' Espada have begun developing powers, I am especially fond of Nelliel's change, to be honest I was drawing a blank on what to do for the others.

I enjoyed writing the fight scenes for this chapter immensely, although they will be longer during the Soul Society vs. Espada fights.

As always I hope you enjoyed reading as I did writing.


	10. Bloody Wastelands

**Shadows of Deceit**

Bloody Wastelands

Yay for Reviews, follows, and favorites!

***Sadly enough I do not own Bleach, because if I did there would actually be a halfway decent romantic subplot. ***

 _***SoD***_

As the match started both combatants continued to hold their stance, as if measuring themselves against the other.

A slight wind swept through the battlefield, ruffling their cloaks and hair while picking up just enough sand to create an almost peaceful effect.

Just as the breeze ceased both fighters disappeared in a spike of Sonido. Then, once again, the area was calm and silent, while some of the observers held their breaths.

Suddenly the two men flashed into existence, their swords clashing against each other before once again vanishing into thin air, this time to appear dozens of feet away, again swords locked in a stalemate.

Again and again the pair appeared, only to parry each other's blows and then Sonido away. Soon the frequency of their appearances increased from every few seconds to the point in which they seemed to exist in more than one location at once, traveling so fast as to leave after images of their battle in such a way that the warzone quickly became congested with duplicates of the two.

The observers gazed in awe as the battle escalated, the attacks becoming stronger and stronger, to the point where each exchange would create a small shockwave, blowing the sand away only to be pushed back by another explosion from a different angle.

Meanwhile the sound that filled the air had started off sounding like fireworks grew into a roar, like a continuous crashing of thunder overheard.

As the fight reached its climax the two suddenly appeared in their original spots, each slightly winded at the seemingly vicious exchange, but both grinning wildly.

"Not bad Ichigo, you seem to have me beat in raw power. Problem is that you lack technique and experience. My guess is though that once you get those two things I won't be much of a threat to you." The Espada called to his opponent, who simply shook his head in return.

"I don't think that anyone will ever be able to say that you are 'not a threat' Stark. Your swordsmanship is terrifyingly precise and your moves are brilliantly calculated. The Primera is truly terrifying." Ichigo returned the compliment with his own as he did a few mild stretches and caught his breath before the battle continued.

"Alright then since we have established that you have virtually no Kenjutsu style what so ever, your Sonido is sloppy as hell, and all of your movements are terribly wasteful I suppose we should see what you can do besides trying to hack your opponents to death." The Arrancar smirked at the boy's expense.

For all his teasing Ichigo just sent him a fake pout.

"Hey I can do other stuff besides just cut at my opponents, I am pretty sure I tried to kick you at least once…"

Stark shot the boy another broad grin, glad that they could both joke around with each other while learning at the same time. He was secretly hoping that Aizen would permit him to train with the boy.

"True but I was thinking about testing to see whether you truly had Hollow powers, besides Sonido." He replied.

The young Shinigami tilted his head and looked up to the sky as if deep in thought for a moment before a sly grin appeared on his face.

"Oh you mean something like this?" The boy asked rhetorically as he raised his two fingers and, pointing them at his opponent, quickly charged and fired a Cero at the surprised Arrancar.

Stark barely had enough time to dodge out of the way from the attack, not expecting the boy to be able to fire the energy blasts so easily or that they would be so quick to charge. His eyes traced the path of the blast as it impact with a distant structure causing a decent sized crater.

"Not bad, I guess that rules out you being just a Shinigami anymore eh? Welcome to the family." Stark smiled in return, and turning his body toward the newly declared Arrancar charged and fired his own Cero without any 'battle stance'.

In return Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise before managing to dodge out of the way, but received a burn to his shoulder for not being fast enough.

"HEY! Watch it now these are my nice fighting clothes after all." His statement caused the Espada to face palm in amusement and let out a slight chuckle.

"Oh of course how silly of me, however I did promise your two admirers a show, so I will have to try and actually burn the rest of your shirt off. I hope you understand, it is not my choice but I cannot resist the chance to tease all three of you at the same time, payback for earlier you know?" The Primera smirked as he fired another close ranged Cero.

This time Ichigo had been ready for his attack and was able to dodge out of the way unscathed. Stark noted that his reflexes and speed were actually faster than the first time he had attempted to dodge.

"Oh my, if you are going to be dodging this fast now I will have to really cut loose and stop holding back so much." The Espada's grin grew even larger making him appear like Ichimaru in a terrifying way.

Soon the Arrancar was rapidly firing Cero after Cero towards the poor boy, each at a much faster speed than his first two.

Aizen noticed, while watching the exchange from a now raised elevation that the observers were forced to take after Stark began blasting in every direction, that Ichigo seemed to be studying his opponent intensely. The young man seemed to be memorizing everything about his opponent, perhaps in an attempt to find a 'tell' for his attack's release or just to try and get a better understand of it.

Finally, Stark grew bored of the shooting gallery he had inadvertently setup, using the boy as the target, and used Sonido to appear to his side after a particularly wide blast. At this range Ichigo could only gape as he took the powered down attack at point blank.

 _***SoD***_

Hearing a slight gasp Aizen chanced a break from the action to glance over at his Espada, and found that the two females were looking quite worried over the entire thing. Nelliel had a concerned look on her face, while Harribel's hands were clenched so tightly at her sides that they were starting to turn pale.

'Interesting, Ichigo seems to have formed quite a bond with those two, this will be very convenient for when I completely convert him to our side. Ulquiorra also seems to be very interested in the fight as well. Add to that the idea that Stark is holding back to prevent injury to the boy, along with their blooming companionship and I believe he has formed a bond with those four. This could permanently turn him against the Soul Society, especially if he perceives them as a threat to his new friends like they were to his companions from the World of the Living.' Aizen thought with a slight smile forming on his face.

The mastermind knew that if Ichigo already showed such improvement, going from barely countering Grimmjow to being close to Stark's improved level with no real training then he could easily become the most powerful weapon in the war, maybe even stronger than himself and the Captain General.

Ulquiorra, on the other hand, was watching the fight very intently. Stark was stronger than he remembered him being, not surprising as all of those who had 'interacted' with the boy seemed to be all around more powerful than before.

The real enigma now was Ichigo, even more so than before. The boy seemed to have the ability to instantaneously move vast distances without being traced and yet now he was resorting to using Sonido. What was even stranger was that he was now exhibiting enough spiritual energy for the Espada to track him.

Was he doing it on purpose? Was he truly toying with the Primera just to have a more interesting fight or was it for some other reason? For every question that seemed to be answered about the young man, such as the fact that he could now be classified as at least an Arrancar, a dozen more seemed to appear.

Ichigo's two biggest fans had the same thoughts going through their heads as they observed the spar, 'be careful Ichigo.'

 _***SoD***_

As the smoke and sand cleared from where Ichigo had been standing a single form stood and was revealed to be the boy in question. His clothes were now tattered and torn in various places, his face smudged with grime, his hair ruffled and dirty, and his smile as bright as ever.

"You know Stark, I am beginning to think that **you** are the one who wants to see me with less clothing on than my so called 'admirers'." Ichigo called with a chuckle.

"Oh? Well I was starting to worry that I had burned that pretty face of yours my friend, but now that I see you are fine I guess I can stop worrying so much about you huh?" The Espada returned a smirk of his own as he flashed in front of his opponent, kicking him a dozen feet before the boy managed to right himself and stop his slide.

Looking up Ichigo's eyes widened as Stark was no longer in front of him, and he had just enough time to turn and use both of his arms to block a potentially damaging punch, though it still sent him skidding backwards.

This little game of theirs continued, Stark attacking from a random angle with a burst of speed, and Ichigo trying to dodge or block in time to avoid taking serious damage. The end result being that Ichigo, more often than not, ended up either with his face in the dirt or on his ass.

Stark had noticed though that unless he increased his speed every few attacks Ichigo would adapt to him and be ready. The boy was even starting to anticipate the speed increases and seeming to adjust to them beforehand as well.

After around fifteen minutes of being tossed around Ichigo managed to catch one of his opponent's attacks mid thrust. Putting Stark's arm in a grapple he had learned during class when he was in martial arts Ichigo shot the man a grin before shocking both his adversary, and every observer present, by charging a Cero… in the same way Stark had been doing so less than an hour before, without using any gestures.

The attack hit the poor Espada at point blank range, which prompted Ichigo to release him, throwing the man back well over twenty feet, and burning the man's uniform as well.

A few moments passed until the face down Arrancar finally managed to pull himself out of the sand and dirt, coughing a bit and pouring sand out of his shoe. He grumpily walked back towards his opponent, muttering the entire time about 'respecting his elders' and having 'sand in very uncomfortable places'. Finally, he stood in front of the boy, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide an enormous grin, and gave a deep sigh before sending him a halfhearted glare. He then threw his arm over the younger man's shoulder and proceeded to walk with him back to where the observers stood, much to the amusement of both Aizen and Gin.

 _***SoD***_

"I believe you want to call this one a draw Stark?" Aizen inquired of the man now standing in front of him.

"Yeah I figure if we were to continue any longer the only result will be the two of us showing as much skin as Harribel does in her Resurreccion form." He replied.

This statement caused Ichigo to glance curiously over at the woman in question, only to see her suddenly finding the ground very interesting. Meanwhile Nelliel was busy eyeing the young man's new attire, or lack thereof.

Aizen nodded, smirking at the boy's questioning glances as well as the behavior of the two female Espada.

"So Stark, how would you analyze Ichigo's battle against you, in terms of his current abilities, how he should be trained, and his future potential." Aizen knew what he himself had noted but was curious on what the perceptive Arrancar would say.

"Well as of right now he fights almost purely on instinct. He has no real swordsmanship style, and most of his techniques are reactions or imitations of his opponents." After this statement Ichigo seemed to have become a bit down trodden, joking during the battle aside he felt almost ashamed now that his shortcomings were being brought up in front of everyone.

"However based on the fact that he has had his new abilities for less than a week, it is quite terrifying how fast he picks up on combat. His first Cero was dangerous enough but the second one he fired completely imitated mine, launching it without any type of warning or 'battle stance' that most Arrancar require." The Espada quickly continued

"Next came his Sonido ability, for the first time using it he was able to move at around the speeds I would expect of Zommari or one of the top four Espada. Afterwards I was able to overwhelm him while testing his reaction using hand to hand combat and dramatically increasing my speed. The strange thing was that I was forced to continuously increase the rate of my movements in order to keep him on the defensive, he was able to adapt to my timing and Sonido after every few attacks." The analysis went on.

"As for training I would suggest individual sessions focusing on separate concepts to improve on each day of the week, rather than focusing on a single topic for longer periods of time. Finally coming to his potential, I don't know what his limits are, being unable to sense how much energy he has coupled with the fact that he picks up on concepts so quickly I would say that given a month or two he would very well surpass all of the Espada maybe even you as well." Stark finished, causing many jaws to drop.

'How could this mere child surpass Aizen-Sama' was the thought shared by many of the observers. For his part Aizen just continued smiling, he knew that Ichigo had absurdly high potential, and the fact that his Primera agreed with him, even going as far as purposing that the boy might be able to surpass him only fueled his interest.

"I shall take your advice into consideration when it comes to training the boy, thank you Stark. Now since all of the Espada who were influenced during Ichigo's awakening have battled I would like to ask if there are any challenges to be issued amongst any of you?" The Shinigami leader waited patiently for several moments, his gaze falling over the silent group before falling back onto Ichigo.

"Very well if no one else has anything then I wish to issue a challenge of my own." With this statement all of the participants in the area turned to him wide eyed.

Aizen had never taken part in a spar before.

'Interesting, what exactly is your plan now Captain Aizen?' Gin thought as he tried to get a guess his leader's plan.

"I wish to challenge Ichigo Kurosaki to a spar." The man ended with a smile, directing his gaze towards the former Shinigami.

Ichigo, on the other hand just lifted his eye brows, seemingly not intimidated by facing the former Captain in a battle.

"Okay, I accept your challenge Aizen-Sama." Was the response given as Ichigo and his opponent flashed out onto the field of battle.

"This spar is a test Ichigo. I wish to see how you will handle fighting a Shinigami again after acquiring your new abilities. This will also help me figure out a plan for how to proceed with your training. Also I want to introduce you to opponents who will use Kido in combat against you, something that you will not encounter when dealing with Arrancar." Aizen stated, and upon receiving a nod of confirmation from Ichigo gave the signal to begin the match.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile the Espada could only look on with fascination. The opportunity to watch arguably the most powerful being any of them had ever encountered in a match was something that none of them would risk missing, and so their eyes were glued to the two combatants.

"Anyone want to place bets on how fast Aizen-Sama whoops his ass?" Grimmjow asked with a laugh.

"I'll take that bet" Nnoitra weighed in. "I say Aizen-Sama wins in two minutes max, and without a scratch on him."

"A minute thirty." the aged Segunda Espada huffed out. "Without as much as a smudge on his uniform."

"Alright alright I'll give the kid the benefit of the doubt and go with five minutes, only because Aizen-Sama will toy with the brat." The original speaker announced. "Also I say that Ichigo never manages to touch him."

As the other Arrancar continued to weigh in, four of their number were suspiciously silent.

The group who had spent the most time with the newest Arrancar spoke quietly amongst themselves about the upcoming match.

"What do you think Stark? You had the only match with him so far. Do you think he stands a chance?" Nelliel asked her voice laced in worry.

"Normally I would say no one stands a chance against Aizen. Even without his Zanpakuto the man is monstrously powerful, terrifyingly intelligent, and a master of all forms of combat that a Shinigami possesses…" the Primera paused, considering his next statement carefully as the others glanced over to him. "But Ichigo has something that I have never seen before, a determination and resiliency that goes beyond just physical ability or power. It's as if he is driven by something that no one but he can understand, something that will not permit him to simply give up and be defeated. A force that pushes him ever forward, causing him to adapt to the situation as if he puts everything he has into every action he takes."

Ulquiorra gave a nod as he added onto the statement, "agreed, his ability to adapt in combat is a perfect example. My guess is that Aizen did not simply challenge Ichigo to test him or to prove he is stronger, but rather he wants to see exactly what this power of his can truly do, what he can adapt to when faced with an opponent who seems to be so far above him. I believe this fight is going to surprise all of us, even Aizen-Sama himself."

"I just hope that Ichigo is okay afterwards." The dark skinned vixen commented, more to herself than anyone else.

"I am sure he will be, Aizen-Sama is a master of combat, and he would not harm Ichigo after putting so much faith in him." Nelliel responded, trying to ease both of their worries.

"That is not what I am concerned about. Ichigo seems to be in a state of equilibrium right now emotion wise. If he suffers a terrible defeat at Aizen-Sama's hand then it could break his confidence again." Harribel replied, louder this time.

With this the four companions grew silent and stared down to the field of combat, hoping for a miracle or at least for the safe return of their friend.

 _***SoD***_

As Aizen and Ichigo arrived on the battlefield Ichigo immediately unsheathed his sword and went into a battle stance, knowing how powerful the former Captain must be and not willing to take the man lightly.

For his part Aizen simply placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but remained in a casual pose, as if to goad Ichigo into attacking him.

"Normally the challenger is obligated to attack first. This is generally true of Shinigami Captains as well. But some will wait for their opponents to make the first move, and then react according to what they perceive of their adversary's abilities." Aizen explained as Ichigo nodded, soaking up the information and storing it for later use.

The former Shinigami was well aware by now that the rebel leader never said anything without a reason and this would undoubtedly be as much of an instructional battle as it would be a test.

Ichigo decided to take the initiative and charge towards the man, holding back on his speed a great deal in order to throw the man off guard. Just as he was about to close the distance, however, the boy accelerated heavily, changing the timing of his attack to be dramatically faster than it would be if he had been moving at his previous rate.

Aizen merely side stepped the slash and slammed an open palm into the teenager's chest, sending him flying across the battlefield.

"A good attempt Ichigo," Aizen called out loud enough for the boy to hear, "impressive use of deceit, that maneuver would probably have ended a fight against a lieutenant or even a low level Captain. But you must also think of you opponents potential counters as if they were expecting your attack. Hope for the best but plan for the worst."

Suddenly Ichigo used Sonido to appear behind the Shinigami, midway through a horizontal slash. But to his dismay Aizen simply unsheathed his sword slightly to block the blow, as he spun with the attack, grabbing Ichigo's arm and throwing him roughly into the ground.

"Again a good strategy, using your opponents relaxed state to your advantage. Unfortunately your Shinigami opponents will most likely be expecting an attack from behind, they believe Hollows must use surprise and treachery to win against them, it is this pride that you must capitalize on." The master combatant again remarked.

 _***SoD***_

"Heh guess you lost Syzael, Aizen-Sama did draw his sword against the kid." Grimmjow laughed with a smirk, while the Pink haired man frowned.

 _***SoD***_

"Do not spend too much time pondering your next move Ichigo, your enemy will not allow you as much time as I have been." Aizen spoke as he slashed at Ichigo's prone form, causing the wide eyed boy to flash out of the way in a burst of static.

'Damnit! He is just toying with me. Is there really that large of a gap between Stark and Aizen? Or was Stark really holding back that much during our fight?' Ichigo thought in dismay.

A rough plan quickly burst into his mind though and he knew that with Aizen's last statement he could not spend precious time trying to come up with a new strategy each time.

Ichigo again charged his opponent, this time using Sonido to appear slightly to the man's left, on the opposite side of his sword, hoping to buy himself time. He then launched a series of slashes to try and overwhelm the Shinigami's defenses.

It was futile.

Aizen blocked each blow with his sword as if the attacks were moving in slow motion. He then chose to lock blades with the younger man using one arm, while he used his other to point directly at him.

" _Sajo Subaku"_

Suddenly a band of yellow energy wrapped itself around a startled Ichigo, locking his arms by his side. Aizen merely took a step back and flashed a grin at the boy.

"Byakuya Kuchiki is very fond of using Kido in combat, especially during a sword battle to paralyze or damage his opponents without warning." Aizen stated, knowing that this would encourage Ichigo to be warier of such techniques in the future, due to his hatred of the young Captain.

"Now let us see if you can break out of it shall we?" Aizen stated with a smirk, believing that he had thus won the spar.

For his part Ichigo's shocked expression quickly became one of examination. He appeared to be contemplating something as he looked down at the Kido spell holding him, as if analyzing the very structure of the ability.

Then with surprising burst of raw energy he managed to break the binding, although it left him gasping for breath afterwards.

"Impressive, to break out of one of my binding spells is no simple task. It is unfortunate that you spent so much energy to do so, however. This match is mine." Aizen stated as he raised his blade, seemingly to strike the boy down.

Before he could though, he found his sword bearing arm suddenly restrained.

'Impossible, could he have used Kido?' The man thought. But as he glanced back his eyes widened in shock for the first time during the match.

Wrapped around his wrist was a black chain that seemed to appear from the ground. The former Captain had never seen a Kido spell like this before, and thus knew it to be some kind of ability unique to Ichigo.

Suddenly he noticed movement from his opponent, Ichigo had quickly reacted, seemingly without noticing the technique that now had his opponent bound, and lunged with his blade.

Aizen shattered the chain but had been too slow with his Zanpakuto to parry the attack, and instead had to use his left arm, to block the blow.

Ichigo's blade was stopped, but a single drop of blood hit the ground from Aizen's arm. A single drop that seemed to echo throughout the desert as all in attendance stood silent, shocked beyond all belief.

Ichigo had managed to not only survive past the five-minute mark, but had done what no one, save for his friends who had made a last minute wager, had even thought was possible.

The fifteen-year-old boy, who just recently acquired Hollow powers, who had been so easily defeated by Grimmjow only days before, had managed to draw blood on the most powerful being in Hueco Mundo.

***A/N***

Holy crap that was a fun chapter to write! By far my longest fight scene to date, also the longest chapter I have written by far.

I hope you all enjoyed the two battles, and if anyone has any suggestions for making the fight's better do not hesitate to PM or put them in a review.

There have been a few reviews on how powerful Ichigo is. I don't want this to turn into a 'Godlike' fic where Ichigo blows through all his battles without a scratch.

Yes Ichigo is holding back some of his abilities, mainly due to the fact that he wants to get stronger, and more diverse. If he ended the battles with his newfound powers then he wouldn't learn or grow at all.

Finally I have changed Ichigo's powers quite a bit. This is due to the fact that I find his abilities from the manga so boring it's painful, I mean he learns all of his 'techniques' by the end of the Soul Society arc basically and the only thing that changes is he gets 'stronger and faster' with his Hollow mask.

As always I hope you enjoyed reading as I did writing.


	11. Training Montage Time

**Shadows of Deceit**

Training Montage Time

Much thanks for all the reviews, likes, follows, views, etc. I have received.

*** I make no money on this or any other Fanfiction I have written. ***

 _***SoD***_

Hours after the spar between Ichigo and Aizen had finished, the Shinigami summoned the first, third, fourth, and fifth Espada into the main assembly room. Once there he invited them to sit while he and his two lieutenants addressed Ichigo's future training.

"As you all probably know by now Stark has made some suggestions on how to proceed with Ichigo's training. I have taken many of these into consideration and I believe I have come up with a satisfactory plan for his development. Normally I would include the other Espada in this as well, but I have determined that you four would be best suited for the job, not only due to your relationships with the boy but also your individual skills." The Arrancar leader began before continuing on after a short pause.

"Every week you will be given a day for individual training with the boy, Nelliel will work with him to develop his Cero abilities along with his Hierro. Harribel will be responsible for his Sonido techniques and his swordsmanship. Ulquiorra will help him advance in Hakudo as well as attempting to establish whether he is capable of instant regeneration. Stark you will be in charge of advanced combat techniques and supervising his progress. Finally Gin and Tousen will alternate teaching Ichigo basic Shinigami abilities, tactics, and combat practice with Kido so that he can get used to battling opponents who wield it. I am also curious to see if Ichigo is able to use Soul Reaper powers even though he appears to be an Arrancar in his current state." The former Captain finished overviewing his plans for the young man.

"Ichigo will also be given a day for group training and tactics along with a day for self-training and to relax. I will be asking Stark to prepare a report after three weeks on his progress. If his growth is sufficient I will consider implementing a plan for training the other Espada as well to help them in the future war." Aizen finished.

The four Arrancar and two Shinigami gave nods of confirmation to their leader before setting out to discuss the schedule.

"I will take his training this week Gin," Tousen commented, "I believe you have been quite busy helping Lord Aizen with other projects and this will give me time to get a good understanding of Ichigo, along with what he hopes to accomplish."

Gin nodded and returned to the meeting room to meet with his leader.

"I suspect that you four wish to have your training days first?" After receiving confirmation the blind man continued, "Then I will work with him the day after team training, which leaves his free day at the end to work on what he perceives as his weakest aspect."

The Shinigami then proceeded to head back to the meeting hall to speak with Gin and Aizen as well, leaving the four Espada alone to continue the conversation.

 _***SoD***_

The four Espada now found themselves in the normal room that Stark and Ulquiorra would spend time in. This time their Fraccion had managed to catch up with them, much to Stark's annoyance as Lillynette immediately started to crawl up his body towards his head while laughing maniacally.

Meanwhile the other Fraccion began crowding their personal Espada, barraging them with questions.

"Lady Harribel is it true that Ichigo tied in his spar with Stark?"

"Screw that noise what about the fact he managed to cut Aizen-Sama?"

"No freaking way, there is no chance that he managed to injure Aizen-Sama, besides why would they be fighting anyway?"

"I don't know jerk why don't you let Lady Harribel answer a question?"

"Why the hell should she answer a question from you?"

Soon Harribel's Fraccion were more concerned with arguing than with obtaining the answers they had sought. As for Nelliel, well the results weren't much better.

"Why do you have to train Ichigo?"

"Wait this won't be private training will it?"

"Well yes Pesche we have decided that each of our training sessions should be…" Nelliel began to answer before being interrupted again.

"UNACCEPTABLE! There is no way I am going to allow this… this… this… PERVERT to try and grope you while you are teaching him to survive!"

At this outburst everyone in the room, even Harribel's Fraccion, turned to face the trio. Nelliel immediately lit up bright red out of embarrassment while Harribel herself sported a small blush.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!" All three of the Tres Espada's Fraccion shouted out at the same time.

"Lady Harribel there is no way you are going to spend time with this boy to be his personal trainer! You are way too important to do such a thing, and those bozos are right! This could be an attempt to try something inappropriate with you!" Rose tried to point out, gaining a glare from the so called 'bozos'.

Meanwhile Lillynette had taken to pestering Stark, much to his irritation, about the meaning of 'grope'.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Everyone in the room was silenced as Harribel raised her voice.

"Ichigo is not going to 'grope' either of us, and if any of you think that I am very disappointed in you. I thought we had taught our Fraccion respect and not to judge based on what you perceive, but rather to seek the true nature of things." The dark skinned Espada spoke, directing her attention, primarily, to her Fraccion.

"That's right, besides Ichigo has already proven himself to be an incredibly powerful warrior with vast potential. The fact that Aizen-Sama would entrust us with his training is a great honor, along with the opportunity to aid a friend. I WILL be training him." Nelliel finished.

"Yeah, and if they were to 'accidently' grope Ichigo during their training sessions then, well you know things happen." Stark chimed in with a sage nod.

"Exactly… WAIT WHAT!?" The two female Espada's again turned bright red after realizing what the Primera had said.

"Okay someone tell me what the hell 'grope' means." Lillynette exasperated.

For the first time since arriving Ulquiorra let out a sigh before speaking "Groping means that a person will inappropriate…"

Before he could finish Nelliel had appeared behind him using Sonido and clasped her hand over his mouth, while Harribel had received the unspoken agreement and tossed Stark over her head and into a wall, leaving a nice imprint of his body.

"Damn pervert…" the third Espada muttered.

"Lady Nelliel, was Stark correct, are you… interested in this boy?" Dondochakka spoke up in curiosity.

"W-what? I-I mean sure he's interesting and strong." The Espada in question began.

"Also he is attractive, fiercely loyal to his friends, incredibly protective, and sincere." Harribel continued the statement as she began to have a daydreaming look in her eyes.

"Not to mention his eyes… God if they were deep before now they are mesmerizing and the way his clothing was ripped… those muscles…" Nelliel finished as she drooled a little, while her Fraccion had developed a slight eye twitch, and Harribel's Fraccion's jaws had hit the floor.

"Psh and they call ME a pervert." Stark mumbled as he finally pried himself out of the wall.

Lillynette for her part had just acquired a sort of questioning gaze as she stared at the two female Espada.

"I guess he is kind of cute and nice." The young green haired Fraccion chirped out, causing her Espada's eyes to widen comically.

"OH HELL NO. You are wayyyyyy too young to be interested in boys, no way no how." Stark spoke, with a fatherly tone in his voice.

"I do so hope you are all aware of Ichigo Kurosaki's age." Ulquiorra interrupted as he observed the 'interesting' scene in front of him.

At his statement everyone's gaze turned towards him.

He let out a sigh and continued, "If I remember correctly Aizen-Sama stated that Ichigo was only fifteen."

"WHAT!?" came the combined shout that echoed through the hallways.

 _***SoD***_

Although it had taken some time, the four Espada had finally agreed upon a training schedule.

Ulquiorra would go first, since Ichigo already seemed fairly competent in hand to hand combat and they needed to be aware of his healing ability before undergoing any kind of 'dangerous' training.

Next up would be Nelliel, mainly due to the fact that she had demanded to be second, along with her training in Hierro.

Third, as her title agreed, would be Harribel. Since Stark would follow her they all wanted Ichigo's Kenjutsu training to be fresh in his mind.

After Stark's session would obviously come the teenager's team training. The group had no idea how Ichigo would fight in a group, and they knew that this type of combat in the upcoming war could be critical, Aizen having spoken of certain Captain 'teams' that would likely be present during the battles.

Finally they would inform Tousen or Gin that he would be ready for his Shinigami 'training' and afterwards he would be left with a day to recover and to do some self-training before starting it all over again.

The only thing that presently worried the Espada was that Aizen had only given them three weeks to train with the new Arrancar. Albeit most newly turned Arrancar already knew how to fight, being the primary instinct while they were Hollows, Ichigo was not part of this group and thus they were unsure what would happen if they failed to produce desirable results. Would Aizen assign new mentors? Would he just give up on the boy's training altogether?

 _***SoD***_

Around an hour later they finally managed to locate the boy in question, his lack of spiritual energy was proving to be slightly irritating. They quickly informed him of his new 'training regime' which he agreed to and Ulquiorra informed him that they would be starting immediately, and to follow him into Hueco Mundo.

As they proceeded out into the desert to find a decent training spot the two companions began to converse about various things.

"So Ulquiorra, why is it that training and sparring always happens outside of Las Noches?" The former Shinigami inquired.

"Simple Ichigo, Aizen-Sama has forbidden any Espada above rank five from releasing their power in the fortress, or else it might damage it." Came the response.

"Aizen-Sama is afraid of the place being damaged?" Ichigo asked, confused as to why the Shinigami leader might be so hesitant.

"Not necessarily that, it's just that last time it happened we had to listen to Szayel and Yammy complain for hours about how much time it took to repair the dome, how their back's hurt, and that they were tired. I believe Aizen was just so annoyed afterwards that he created the rule so that he wouldn't end up just killing the two of them." The answer came with a smirk from the normally stoic Espada as he recalled the eye twitch Aizen had developed during that day.

Ichigo gave his soon to be mentor a surprised look before bursting out laughing at the image.

"Alright Ichigo," Ulquiorra started after they had both sufficiently calmed down, "since you have already shown some competency in hand to hand combat I will be mostly testing your regenerative ability, as well as developing you combat instincts today."

"Uh how exactly are we going to test that? It sounds a bit… painful." Ichigo nervously spoke, scratching the back of his head.

"Do not fret I will not be ripping off any limbs or anything like that, just covering you in bruises to see how fast they heal."

Before Ichigo could respond the Espada flashed in front of him and threw a punch, catching the boy by surprise and sending him flying into a nearby pillar.

"Ow…" Ichigo rubbed his head as he emerged from the dust created from the impact.

"Ichigo remove your shirt, I need to see what bruises you obtain to measure your healing factor." The Espada commanded.

Strangely enough there was a slight 'eep' that sounded from a nearby hilltop, along with a noise that reminded Ichigo of the "catcalls" from movies.

Raising an eyebrow Ulquiorra decided to ignore the obvious presence of his teammates, 'do they really think they are good at hiding?' he questioned, and continued the training.

As the 'battle' continued Ichigo soon found himself covered in bruises. To the surprise of both the Espada and the boy he was 'training', however, they would quickly heal after he took a short rest from combat.

"Impressive Ichigo, you seem to heal quite quickly when you are not in combat, but that is a weakness I hope to end. Your opponents will most likely not be giving you such time to rest and so our goal is to try and force you to heal during combat, even if it is at a lesser extent." Ulquiorra remarked.

"I have been noticing that your blocking and countering abilities have increased since we began though. Tell me, what training have you received in hand to hand combat?" the Espada inquired.

"As far as Shinigami training none, but I was in Karate class when I was a kid and I did pretty well." Ichigo responded.

"Interesting, if I am not mistaken Yoruichi Shihoin is a master of Hakuda combat. Why they did not bother to improve on a skill you already had a competent level of knowledge in is most curious."

Ulquiorra's response caused Ichigo to go wide eyed for a second, before his vision narrowed.

'He's right, they would have known of my skill in that if they really had known my father and had been watching me like Aizen-Sama said. If that is true why the hell didn't even bother to expand upon that?'

"Well regardless, it is time we made up for this. We Espada do not really use specific styles in combat, not only does relying on a single type of move create a weakness to anyone who might be aware of what you use but we also fight more on instinct, adapting when it feels appropriate."

"Sounds a lot like what I have been doing already, alright then let's continue we are losing 'daylight'." Ichigo responded with a smile.

The training began again, with Ulquiorra tossing Ichigo around fairly easily. After an hour or so the Espada landed a particularly brutal overhead blow on the boy, causing him to crash into the ground. As he moved to follow the attack up he was intercepted by the two Female Espada.

"Hold on a second Ulquiorra! What the hell are you trying to do, kill him?" Harribel almost shouted at the Espada, causing him to raise an eyebrow in question, while Nelliel went to check on the fallen new Arrancar.

"Ichigo are you okay?" the green haired female asked to Ichigo's prone form.

The boy in question looked up, already healing from the wound, with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah I am fine, I thought you three were just observing though, why did you intervene?" Ichigo asked, in a genuinely confused tone.

"You took a really hard blow and we were worried about you silly." Nelliel responded as she helped him stand.

"You knew we were here the entire time?" Harribel asked, turning to the young man.

"Well yeah, it's not like Stark is trying to hide his presence over there. Plus I have always been pretty good at detecting spiritual presences I know where all of you are at all times." Ichigo responded, as if it was fairly normal.

"Impressive Ichigo, I was going to teach you Pesquisa later today if we had time but you already seem to be fairly adept at the skill." The stoic Espada stated.

"Heh yeah oh that does remind me, Harribel shouldn't you be called the Segunda Espada now?" Ichigo directed toward the blonde female.

"What do you mean Ichigo?" the female in question asked, a bit surprised at his question.

"Well you are stronger than Baraggan now. I thought that your rank as Espada reflected that." The former Shinigami replied.

"I did not realize you had increased that much in power Harribel, why did you not tell us?" Nelliel inquired, a bit hurt that her friend had kept this from her.

"I didn't realize I had become that much stronger from the 'change'." Harribel answered, "It doesn't really matter though, I don't care about the rank's anyway all the change would do is create more issues between Baraggan and myself."

Ichigo gave a nod of understanding before stretching out his shoulders again. "So Ulquiorra now that we have an audience, by the way you can come out now Stark, should we continue?"

Stark quickly appeared, trying his best to look innocent, "oh Ichigo, imagine seeing you out here, I was just on my way to… pick up some rocks for Aizen… Yeah that's it! Aizen needed some rocks for uh… throwing at Yammy and asked me to grab some, oh look there's another one." The Espada crouched down and picked up a stone that was located on the battlefield, as the others in the area just raised their eyebrows and thought the same thing.

'Does he really expect us to believe that?'

"Well since we are here I guess we should observe Ulquiorra's training session, you know to get some ideas for our own days later this week eh ladies?" Stark asked giving them a smirk. "By the way Ichigo, nice abs."

Nelliel and Harribel finally realized that Ichigo had been shirtless the entire conversation, and developed nosebleeds as they blatantly stared at the boy, who just returned a smirk of his own to the Primera.

"Thanks for noticing Stark, I was getting worried that you were denying your inner lust for me but it is good to see you being true to yourself."

"Oh who could deny themselves when you are prancing around in a state of undress like that Ichigo-Kun," Stark spoke in a girly voice.

"That reminds me Stark, I believe we should be present for your 'advanced training session'. I do not want to be present when Aizen asks Ichigo to point out the places on the anatomical doll where you 'touched him'." Ulquiorra stated, with a completely straight face, causing Stark's jaw to almost hit the ground while the other three burst out laughing.

"So unfair… ganging up on me like that." Stark fake sobbed.

"That's strange I thought you would enjoy being teamed up against two men." Harribel chimed in, with an amused look in her eye.

Stark just pouted, mumbling about how unfair it was that Ichigo got all the women on his side, again causing the two in question to blush.

 _***SoD***_

The week continued in a similar way for Ichigo, he would undertake a day of 'individual' training, only to find the other mentors watching, discreetly at first and then blatantly cheering and making comments. Soon it became quite helpful though, as the other Espada were able to see things from different angles and correct mistakes or offer advice.

Nelliel found out that Ichigo was in fact capable of producing Hierro, although his Shinigami training had put him slightly behind in terms of developing it. His skill with Cero was astounding though, as he quickly learned the basics of all three types, even if he could not yet produce the Cero Oscuras.

Harribel was also pleasantly surprised by Ichigo's natural ability with the sword and Sonido. She had even managed to sneak in a few 'strategic' slashes that left the boy without a shirt, much to her and Nelliel's amusement.

Finally with Stark it was a training day to put everything he had learned up to that point to use, and the results were impressive. Where Stark had held back quite a bit during their spar less than a week prior he was now pressed not to use his full non-resurreccion power.

The Espada found that Ichigo was combining all the forms of combat they had begin teaching him into a single unified style. The boy had begun switching between swordsmanship and Hakuda almost effortlessly and firing off seemingly random Ceros, many catching Stark off guard.

 _***SoD***_

The team training day was… interesting to say the least. Although the Espada had begun some cooperative training, there was no formal way of doing so and thus it would often lead to groups of two trying to compliment the other.

Thus it was that Ichigo found himself observing a battle between a team of Stark and Ulquiorra vs. Nelliel and Harribel.

At first the two females had wanted Ichigo on their team, stating that since the other two were stronger it was only fair. Stark quickly deemed this a bad idea though for 'health reasons' and instead compromised that the first day would be just Ichigo observing the team combat and getting a basic grasp for it, then they would do a few simple routines to see how he quickly he could grasp this concept.

The Espada found that like all other forms of combat, the former Shinigami was a quick study.

 _***SoD***_

When it came time for Tousen's training session Ichigo found himself in a classroom-like setting, seated at a desk with his four companions a few seats behind him. Originally they were all crowded around the boy, but Tousen's teacher mode had kicked in and separated them on the grounds of "he is not going to learn with you passing him notes all day".

Tousen began by explaining the basics of Shinigami combat, the four aspects, and then the difference between a Hollow's and Arrancar's abilities versus Shinigami's abilities. He went on to discuss the concepts of Shikai, which Ichigo already understood, as well as Bankai and its Arrancar counterpart, Resurreccion.

Ichigo did ask whether he would be using Bankai or Resurreccion, which Tousen could not answer saying that if anyone could do so it would be Aizen.

Finally the dark skinned man did a short explanation of all the Captains of the Court Guard and their main strengths and weaknesses.

After a short break for lunch, Tousen preferred a set schedule for his training rather than haphazardly like the Espada's days, the former Captain took Ichigo to a small training grounds close by Las Noches and explained the concept of Kido more thoroughly, as well as 'testing' a few on the poor boy.

 _***SoD***_

When it came to the seventh day, Ichigo's personal training time, the four friends were unable to locate the boy in question. They had searched through all of Las Noches, and even asked a few of the other Espada yet they could not find a single trace of him.

Finally the four Arrancar took to the sky above Las Noches and looked out in different directions, hoping to catch a glimpse, but to no avail.

"It seems as though Ichigo has become quite skilled in stealth." Ulquiorra said with a smile after the group had given up and headed to what had become their personal room.

"Indeed, if that boy doesn't want to be found then he sure as hell won't be." Stark agreed.

"I just wish he had told us where was going first, I mean what happens if he is hurt or ambushed by Hollows?" Nelliel questioned as she paced back and forth in the room.

"I wouldn't worry about him too much," Harribel tried to calm the green haired female down, along with herself who had considered the same things.

"Exactly, even if Ichigo did somehow run into an army of Hollows the only ones I would feel bad for would be his opponents, that boy is slowly becoming terrifying." Stark mentioned, laying down on the couch, only to have Lillynette jump on his stomach.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile Aizen was going over various reports on the activities of Soul Society and the outcasts in the living world, when he came to a report Tousen had filed on his new favorite topic, Ichigo Kurosaki.

As he read the information he allowed a small smile to grace his features, it appeared that Tousen had found the boy's growth rate to be terrifyingly fast, and even predicted that he would outshine the Primera by the time Aizen gave his official test.

"Soon Ichigo, you will realize your full potential, and become even greater than anyone can imagine."

***A/N***

Sorry not much of a cliffhanger there, I couldn't really think of a good way to end the chapter when it came to that point to be honest.

So Ichigo's training is in full swing now! I know some might be a bit upset that I didn't go more into the training sessions, or that I skipped Ichigo's personal training time but I want it to be a surprise. I am super excited for the new abilities Ichigo will soon be showing off.

I have been trying to include the Fraccion more but writing so many characters in can become a bit tiring, plus the story is mostly about Ichigo… so yeah.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading, I had a blast writing.


	12. Let the Jaws Hit the Floor

**Shadows of Deceit**

Let the Jaws Hit the Floor

Gracias for all of the likes, views, and follows.

***I own exactly 0% of Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

Three long, and in many cases painful, weeks later Ichigo stood before Aizen along with his two Shinigami officers. At his back were his four Espada mentors, the remaining Espada and Fraccion were off to the side. All those in attendance were currently standing far out in Hueco Mundo, away from Las Noches.

"So Ichigo, I have heard good things concerning your training. Now that the three weeks are up I am interested to see the fruits of your labors." The ex-Captain began with a smile. "Normally I would have the test done a bit more privately but the results of your training may very well influence the future training of the rest of the Espada and Fraccion. This will be a spar between you and Stark, since we have witnessed the battle between the two of you before we can use that to gauge your progress."

Ichigo and Stark both gave a nod before proceeding a good distance away from the others and stood facing each other, oddly reminiscent of their previous battle. Once again the entire area was silent in anticipation.

"Begin" Aizen called out, and the two combatants vanished in a blur of Sonido.

Soon the clashes began, but unlike their first confrontation Stark was quickly forced into using his full speed against the boy. The clashing of their blades sent shockwaves into the surrounding area, damaging the pillars and rocks that lay scattered about.

After a few moments of this the two suddenly appeared, locked in a contest of strength.

To the surprise of the observers though, Ichigo quickly overpowered the Primera, throwing him backwards into a nearby structure. Instead of pursuing him Ichigo took up a neutral, almost relaxed, stance.

A split second later the Espada appeared behind his opponent, a blow already started for his neck, but found nothing but air. The newly formed Arrancar used the Primera's own trick against him and had flashed behind him, landing a vicious kick to his back and sending the man to the ground.

"Pretty good Ichigo, you certainly have gotten better since we first fought." Stark complimented with a smile.

Ichigo returned the smile and the compliments "Well I did have some pretty amazing teachers, and friends. Heck one of them is a brother to me in all but blood."

This statement caused Stark's smile to grow even wider.

"Now you have me curious though, how good exactly are you with a sword? Let's give Aizen and the rest a show, no fancy flash stepping, just sword play." Stark called out in a challenging tone.

Ichigo gave the man in front of him a nod before bringing his sword up in front of him, in a one handed stance. "Ready when you are."

Both men charged and the difference in their abilities quickly became apparent.

Where Stark analyzed his opponent, using tactical sword strikes to get through his opponents defenses, Ichigo seemed to use the same berserker type of style that many of the other Espada favored.

 _***SoD***_

"What a disappointment," Szayel commented sadly, "I was hoping the boy would have developed more than just copying Grimmjow and Nnoitra's style of 'run in and cut the opponent up'."

"Ha like you could do any better pinky, the kid finally got wise and is using the true fighting style of the Hollow! I am actually proud of him, brings a tear to my eye." Grimmjow replied in a fake proud tone, and wiped an imaginary tear from his face.

"Don't get too happy Grimmjow, Ichigo is not just charging his opponent blindly, his attacks seem almost too random for that." Harribel observed.

"Very good Harribel, in actuality Ichigo is using a fighting style, one that none of the other Espada use." Aizen began while analyzing the boy. "It seems as though he has copied all four of his mentor's fighting styles and combined them into a single form, quite impressive. He is using Nelliel's grace and fluid motion, along with her habit of spinning to add momentum to her attacks and confuse her opponents. Then he has added in Harribel's raw speed and counter attacking skill. Next if you watch closely he uses only one sword hand, keeping his other open for Hakuda and various other techniques, an obvious imitation of Ulquiorra. Finally he is creating his own openings to exploit in a tribute, no doubt, to Stark's analytical form. Combine them all together and, well it is what I would describe as 'controlled chaos' he has created a whirlwind or hurricane of movements and strikes that seem random and overwhelming but are in fact controlled and calculating. Quite terrifying I must say."

The Arrancar stared wide eyed at their leader for a second before returning their gaze to the battle currently raging, all trying to see what the former Captain had pointed out.

 _***SoD***_

Stark was getting nervous, Ichigo skill had increased to a degree even he hadn't seen during their training sessions. Obviously the boy had been holding back but he never imagined this much.

Each time the Espada would attack, his opponent would fluidly dodge around the blade. Then he would counter attack so quickly that it often interrupted his strike midway through. Once the Primera was on the defensive Ichigo would often switch sword hands and angles, allowing him to use a completely different strike around his defenses.

Even worse were the times that Ichigo would flow into a kick or punch so suddenly the Primera didn't have time to parry it and would be forced to simply harden his Hierro and take the blow.

All in all he had become very bruised and bloody in a very short amount of time, nothing had been serious enough to end the fight yet but there had been a few close calls.

The teen himself had only received a few minor nicks for his troubles and even these seemed to have been calculated. The wounds the boy had received were earned in return for a much more serious one given to his opponent, as if he had let the more experienced Arrancar create his own defensive openings.

Stark had to break this pattern or he would quickly end up losing this match. Acting on a sudden thought, the Espada shot backwards away from the boy and fired a Cero at him, which he easily dodged, drawing the match to a temporary halt.

"Very impressive Ichigo, I must say if that were allowed to continue I would have lost for sure, I didn't know you had been holding back this much." Stark shot a grin toward the boy he had become very proud of.

"Like I said, I had excellent teachers. Also you're one to talk, you still have Resurreccion you can call on, and I still haven't figured mine out." This time Ichigo sounded a bit down trodden, as if he had let them all down.

"Don't worry about that quite yet Ichigo, in only three weeks you have surpassed my base form in several ways already, we can work on you obtaining your new form once Aizen is sure you can use it."

Receiving a happy nod from the boy Stark smiled, and then launched another Cero at him.

Ichigo just grinned and flashed out of the way.

"You know Stark, if you want to turn this into a Cero contest, you are going to have a bad day. I might start taking this very seriously." Ichigo called out to his opponent, loud enough for those observing to hear.

"Oh? I would expect nothing less from you Ichigo. In fact I am hurt you haven't been taking me seriously yet. Come on show me the results of all that private training you hid from us." The statement had sounded like a joke but Ichigo had spent enough time with the man to hear the hurt in his voice. The fact that he had been hiding his development from them had indeed hurt their feelings, something that the boy had not intended.

"Sorry, I didn't want to show any of you what I have been working on until I was sure it was safe to either be used around others and for others to start trying to learn." The teen responded mysteriously.

"But I guess it should be okay by now, here's a neat trick that I have recently discovered. I am sure some of you also have but for me it is kind of exciting to have figured it out on my own." Ichigo continued before extending his left hand down to his side.

It appeared that a red Cero began forming in his palm but instead of firing it off he simply kept it for a moment before pulling his hand back… and throwing the sphere of energy at the Espada.

Stark's eyes widened immensely as thoughts raged through his head 'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? It can't be a Cero, it's not a beam of energy but its energy signature is the same.'

Just as Stark began dodging out of the way the sphere hit the ground nearby him, and caused an immense explosion, damaging the nearby structures forcing the Espada to cover his face from the resulting shockwave.

 _***SoD***_

Back at the observation post, virtually all jaws were on the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Grimmjow roared out.

"I-It appears as though the b-boy has… m-modified his Cero. B-But that's impossible… right?" Szayel stuttered in a rare form of confusion.

'Impressive Ichigo, I wonder what else you have learned to modify. A technique like that, in the hands of all the Espada, could provide an incredible tactical advantage against the Shinigami, who expect only a normal Cero.' Aizen thought, inwardly grinning at the results.

 _***SoD***_

"Phew, cut it a bit closer why don't you? I said take it seriously, not blow my freaking head off." The Espada exasperated at the boy, who only grinned guiltily and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, I told you it was a bit dangerous. I haven't figured out all of the issues with it quite yet."

"What the hell was that anyway? I have never seen a Cero like that before." The experienced Arrancar asked, trying to sound casual but inwardly he was more like a little boy at Christmas, shaking with excitement as he was eyeing presents.

"Oh that? I call it _'Cero Granada'_ I assumed that at least one of the other Espada had figured it out by now, heck I got the idea my first day of Cero training with Nelliel." Ichigo answered with a casual shrug, causing a sweat drop from his opponent.

'He has fundamentally changed one of the core ability's for Hollows and Arrancar and he just shrugs it off like it is no big deal…' The Primera mentally chuckled at the naiveté of his 'brother'.

"Well I'm going to have to beg you to show me how to do that later on, if you have the time of course." Again Stark tried to sound nonchalant about the request but inwardly he was practically begging on his hands and knees.

"Sure, I didn't want to show it before since I wasn't sure if it could be used safely or not. I accidently blew off my hand with that the first time." Ichigo replied with a chuckle.

A second later everyone heard a scream from the observation post.

"YOU WHAT!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU BLEW OFF A HAND!? THIS IS WHY YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TRAIN WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE WHERE!"

Both combatants were surprised to find that it was Harribel who had managed to shout so loudly.

"I am in trouble aren't I?" Ichigo asked nervously, sure he was beating the Primera, but even he wasn't dumb enough to think he would come out unscathed after an attack from an angry female.

"Oooooooh yeah, so you might as well enjoy your remaining time as a functioning Arrancar before the two women get their hands on you. Have you developed any other neat tricks in your spare time?" Stark asked with a smirk.

"A couple revolving around Cero, it's so natural that it was easy to work on. Also I have come a long way in using my _'Cadenas de Sombra'_." The boy responded.

Stark responded with a confused look, which lead to Ichigo raising his left hand and one of the black chains, that the Espada had seen weeks before, to appear from the ground.

"Oh, those chains you used during your spar with Aizen. So you have been learning to use them as well then." Stark spoke trying to get more information out of the Arrancar before having to face them in the match.

"Yeah I can control a couple of them now, and they are a lot more durable than the first time…" Ichigo began just as Stark interrupted him with a Cero, not wanting the match to continue since the last 'surprise' Ichigo had used caused so much damage.

Ichigo, appearing to have been caught off guard, did not have time to dodge the blast as it reached him and immediately exploded, causing a fairly decent sized shockwave and dust cloud.

 _***SoD***_

After Stark had fired his Cero at the boy both Harribel and Nelliel were tempted to Sonido down to the battlefield and beat the Espada to an inch of his life.

He had used Ichigo's friendship and relaxed form as an opening when speaking to the boy conversationally and, of course, Ichigo had fallen for it.

As the smoke cleared, however, their eyes widened, for what felt like the tenth time during the match, at what they saw.

Ichigo didn't dodge the attack because he had formed a wall of his chains in front of him, completely stopping the blast instead.

"Impressive, if his chains can stop Stark's Cero so easily then they must have become quite durable and versatile." The fourth Espada commented, earning a stunned nod of agreement from many of the other Espada present.

 _***SoD***_

As the Primera gazed at the wall that had stopped his attack he felt an odd shiver run up his spine. If the boy could stop his attack so easily, and with no visible damage to his defense, what else were these weapons capable of?

"Very impressive Ichigo, I assume that your new weapons are capable of more than just defense though?" Stark questioned.

"Yeah, they react about as fast as I do now."

"If you can react faster than that, why did you not just dodge the attack?"

"I wanted to see how much they could take, it's not like I have had time to test them in combat up until now, so if you would be up for it I would like to test their offensive capabilities as well." The boy replied with a smirk, causing his opponent to gulp nervously.

Without waiting for an answer, after all Stark had attacked without waiting, Ichigo leapt forward with his blade, but this time he lead by forming a chain that was in mid swing and aiming for his opponent's head.

Stark barely had time to respond as he ducked under the chain and then met Ichigo's blade, only to be forced to dodge again as a second weapon formed from his left, moving as if to impale him.

As he leapt backwards Stark swung forward with his own Zanpakuto, hoping that he would be able to cut the chains and gain an idea of how strong they would actually be offensively. Instead of being sliced in two the 'weapons' actually bent backwards with slack, absorbing the blow instead of standing stiff. A moment later it wrapped around his sword, threatening to rip the blade out of the Espada's hand.

Stark quickly slid his sword out from the trap, only to find himself being pressed from behind by another attack from these devices. Using Sonido he flashed higher up into the air, assuming that if he could put some distance he might gain some breathing space.

As he glanced down he found Ichigo had not pursued him. Instead the teenager was simply gazing at him with a smirk on his face, as if saying 'that all you got?'

Stark gave a glance over to where Aizen stood, as if asking a silent question, to which he received only a subtle nod.

"Lillynette, to me." Stark commanded, gaining a shocked expression from his Fraccion as well as the other Espada.

Flashing to his side the young girl gave him a reluctant look.

"Stark… you can't be serious, right? I mean I know this is a match and all but I don't want to hurt him…" The young Arrancar gave her Espada a solemn gaze before staring down at her shoes, unwilling to meet his gaze.

For his part Stark simply put his hands on her shoulders causing her to glance up when he gave her a genuine smile.

"No, I do not want to hurt him, but he needs this Lillynette, and so do we. It has been too long since we have had the chance to battle someone to this degree, and I can tell Ichigo is just as anxious about continuing, but without transforming I won't be able to continue this battle at his level." Stark answered.

Receiving a reluctant nod, and promising her that he would make it up to both her and Ichigo, Stark turned to face the boy before calling out a phrase few Espada had ever heard.

"Kick About, Los Lobos!"

In a blinding flash and a rush of spiritual power that caused many of the observing Fraccion to sweat, and struggle to remain standing, Stark was revealed in his Resurreccion state.

Ichigo gave his opponent a curious look before shouting out, "So this is your Resurreccion eh Stark? But why the hell did you need Lillynette to come out first? I don't really want to fight her."

The dark haired man gave him a curious look and was about to shout his response before he heard a voice to his side.

"Uh Stark? I think we have a problem…"

Turning to face the voice, Stark just about dropped his two pistols, as he saw Lillynette still standing beside him, but with her Hollow hole and mask missing.

 _***SoD***_

"Well isn't this a curious turn of events eh Captain Aizen?" Gin remarked glancing toward his leader, "I was surprised that you allowed the Primera to release against the boy. I mean sure Stark was bound to lose eventually but now he will probably do serious damage to Ichigo. Why not just let a lower ranking Espada use their release?"

"Two reasons Gin, the first is that I wanted to continue pushing Ichigo. If he is given a weaker opponent then he will not continue his growth. Also I was curious to see how the transformation from 'the event' would affect a Resurreccion. Though I must say even I did not expect this." The ex-Captain responded, resuming his curious gaze towards the battlefield.

 _***SoD***_

"Lillynette, I don't want you on the battlefield. We will figure out what has happened later but right now, I want to finish this as soon as possible." Stark commanded, returning his gaze towards Ichigo.

"Uh okay but Stark… be careful and I swear if you hurt him not only will I make your life a living hell every morning from now on, but Harribel and Nelliel will not be kind either." Lillynette gave a threatening glare towards her Espada before skipping off the battlefield, causing Stark to sweat nervously.

'Shit… I hadn't thought about those two when I started this plan. They have been incredibly over protective of him, I am so screwed.' Stark realized.

Soon the Primera had just decided to roll with it, after all Ulquiorra would back him up, and surely Aizen would never allow them to kill him… right?

Stark pulled out his right pistol and fired a Cero towards the boy, but the attack was stronger than he had been expecting.

Instead of dodging Ichigo simply raised his right hand, and charging a blue Cero as muttered the attack name before firing it.

"Gran Rey Cero."

Ichigo's enhanced attack cut through Stark's own blast as easily as the air around it, before rocketing towards the Espada, who could only widen his eyes in surprise.

Soon the beam passed through where Stark had been a second before, causing Lillynette to cry out in worry.

"It's okay Lillynette, apparently Ichigo didn't feel like frying me today." Stark replied from behind her with Ichigo next to him, his hand on the Espada's shoulder.

"B-but how? I didn't see you Sonido out of the way." Lillynette asked fresh tears of worry still in her eyes as she threw herself around the man in a hug.

"Like I said, Ichigo got to me first and moved me out of the way," Stark answered with a glance over towards the boy, who had a grateful look on his face. "Past that I don't remember how he did it." The man finished causing Aizen, who had approached to ask the same question, to raise his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well I believe we will call the match a draw for the time being, only this time slightly in Ichigo's favor." The rebel leader announced as the other Espada arrived on the scene.

"Ichigo, how did you manage that last attack? Gran Rey Cero is only able to be fired after mixing one's blood with a normal Cero." Ulquiorra asked curiously, again focusing everyone's attention on the boy.

"Uh I am not sure, but I have been able to since last week. It feels a bit strange though, like my blood is responding to my command." Ichigo answered with a shrug.

Aizen himself just gave a knowing smile as he realized there was yet another truth he could reveal to the boy.

"I wouldn't worry about that Ichigo I have a theory as to how you managed to do so and I can explain to you when we return to Las Noches. We will still need to conduct the last part of your trial as well, which will be discussed in private." Aizen announced as Stark reverted back to his normal sealed state.

For his part Ichigo just gave a nod.

 _***SoD***_

After arriving Ichigo ensured that Stark was okay, even though he practically begged Ichigo not to leave him alone with the two Espada females who had spent the entire trip back glaring at him.

Ichigo just chuckled and told him that he would be fine, before heading out to find Aizen.

A moment or two later Ichigo appeared in Aizen's throne room before bowing respectfully and taking the seat that the man had gestured to.

"You mentioned I had another test Aizen-Sama?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah yes Ichigo, I will get to that in a moment. First I would like to explain my theory on your ability to fire the enhanced Cero. You see blood manipulation is a very common ability for pure blooded Quincy." Aizen answered mysteriously.

The teenager pondered for this a moment before asking in a confused tone, "That is very interesting but what does it have to do with me? After all my dad was a Shinigami so I don't see…" Suddenly the boy's eyes widened in shock before narrowing angrily. "My mother…"

"Yes Ichigo, your mother was a pure blooded Quincy. She was stripped of her powers before her death from the Hollow known as Grand Fisher. I am sorry you had to find out this way, like so many other secrets it was revealed by the wrong person." Aizen finished with a sad tone.

"Thank you for telling me Aizen-Sama, I truly appreciate hearing the truth." Ichigo got up to leave before looking back slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry I almost forgot, the last test?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah yes, this is a test that is a bit more involved than your last one, and it is classified as top secret as of now. You see Ichigo, I have become aware of a plot to steal the Hogyoku. Obviously I am not going to let those in question simply take the key to our potential victory so I will be 'allowing' them to take a fake. From there I want to find out exactly who is behind this plot. The Arrancar in question are not brave or strong enough to have planned this by themselves. Until we know more everyone, except for us two, is a suspect, this includes the Espada, and all Shinigami." Aizen paused allowing his statement to sink in with his chosen agent.

After a moment or two, the boy nodded his head in understanding.

"I will inform you when the trap is sprung, I also intend to give the false Hogyoku a very distinct Reiatsu signature so that it will be easier to track. The device will be left unguarded tomorrow evening and I imagine that is when it will be taken."

"The problem will be taken care of Aizen-Sama. What do you want to have done once the traitors are revealed?"

"Apprehend those responsible if possible, once we know who is indirectly responsible we will take actions accordingly. Until then simply inform anyone who asks that the test is ongoing and that I will be monitoring your interactions and responses for the duration."

Ichigo nodded, after being dismissed and made his way back to where his friends had gathered, already dreading the idea of deceiving them.

***A/N***

Alright so now there is a baseline for Ichigo's power and like I have said before Ichigo is not all powerful, although he will continue to grow stronger with experience and practice.

Ichigo will achieve Resurreccion eventually, and not to worry it will be a very important event that triggers this.

Stark's Resurreccion without needing Lillynette will be expanded upon further later on, I just haven't found a good time to mention it yet.

Ichigo is able to fire Gran Rey Cero's I figure with his Quincy powers still somewhat there he should have some benefit from them.

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter, a lot of new things are brewing on the horizon and I hope everyone enjoys the twists and turns that will soon take place.


	13. Bonding Over Memories

**Shadows of Deceit**

Bonding over Memories

Much obliged for all the reviews, likes, and follows, also HOLY CRAP SATURDAY THE 15th! My highest views per day before then was like 330ish, Saturday was 516… Wow I don't know what I did or didn't do before but thank you everyone!

***I still have no ownership over the entity that is Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

'Time seems to pass strangely here.' Ichigo mused as he returned to his comrades.

'Sometimes it feels as if I have been here for years, and yet at the same time it is as if I arrived just yesterday. It is amazing to think that less than a year ago I was concerned with school, getting a job, and eventually moving on with my normal life.'

The boy simply shook his head, he couldn't imagine having a normal life anymore, and wasn't sure if he would even want to if it was possible.

As Ichigo entered the common room a grin consumed his face as he noticed the inhabitants. Lillynette, Harribel, and Nelliel were busy berating, and physically assaulting, Stark for his actions during their spar. Ulquiorra, in the meantime, was busy trying to play the mediator and keep the male Espada from being beaten too badly. Harribel's Fraccion were fighting amongst themselves about which of them was the toughest. Finally Nelliel's Fraccion were trying to stay out of the way of the various fights, by hiding partly behind Ulquiorra.

Ichigo let out a chuckle, shutting the door, and gaining the attention of all those present in the room.

"ICHIGO!" Lillynette happily cried out as she ran to give him a hug.

"Oh he ties me two times and suddenly he is your favorite now? Traitor…" Stark murmured out, avoiding the glares of the two female Espada in the room.

"Actually Stark, I would say that Ichigo was the winner of the second spar. He did save you from his own attack after all." Ulquiorra spoke with a slight smirk forming on his face.

"Oh come on… I was totally going to dodge that, I just hadn't gotten around to it yet." Stark said trying to save what was left of his pride.

"Yeah I am sure that the look of shock on his face when Ichigo fired the Gran Rey Cero was all a part of your plan to fake him out right?" Harribel's voiced oozed with sarcasm with her remark.

"Of course, I was just allowing him to lower his guard. The situation was completely under my control the entire time." Stark answered with a nod, before receiving a kick to the face from his Fraccion.

"YOU ASS! Do you realize how much that freaked me out!?" Lillynette appeared almost to be tearing up again, as she remembered her Espada almost being seriously injured during the spar.

Replacing his confident smirk with one of an apologetic smile the man shifted his gaze completely to the young girl. "I am sorry Lillynette, I never intended on causing you to worry. Now you know though that Ichigo will always have my back no matter what the situation might be."

With this Ichigo walked up and lifted the Fraccion onto his shoulders, and sent a warm smile toward her Espada as she giggled happily.

"I will always protect you Stark, you and everyone else here. I am not going to lose any more friends." Ichigo spoke with a confidence that seemed to fill everyone in the room with a sense of protection.

"Speaking of your spar Ichigo, did Aizen-Sama explain how you managed to use the enhanced Cero?" The stoic Espada inquired of the young boy.

"Yeah…" Ichigo seemed somewhat downtrodden at the memory, worrying the Espada in the room.

"It seems that my mother had been a full blooded Quincy before her death, yet another thing my father and former mentors have kept from me."

"If you don't mind me asking Ichigo, how did your mother die?" Nelliel asked hoping to help friend with his sudden change in mood.

"She was killed, by a Hollow." Ichigo muttered out, not knowing how this sudden revelation would affect his friendships.

"Ichigo… I am so sorry. I am surprised you can even bother spending time with us knowing that we were once Hollows ourselves." Harribel replied, staring down at the floor.

"I never considered any of you like that. None of you are evil or malicious like that, the monster that killed my mother enjoyed hurting and causing individuals pain. I have seen the look in all of your eyes and I know none of you could delight in causing the suffering of innocent people." Ichigo reassured them.

"I am not sure how much Aizen-Sama told you about what happened to me before I arrived here, but you are all entitled to the complete truth."

Ichigo went on to explain everything that had occurred, from obtaining his Shinigami powers up to the point where he was approached by the former Captain in his jail cell. By the end of the story Nelliel had a depressed look on her face, Harribel appeared angry, and the two male Espada looked apologetic.

"Aizen informed us that your friends had been killed… but we were never told how connected to them you actually were... I am sorry Ichigo." Stark began, trying to comfort his brother.

"It's alright, the important thing is to keep moving forward, they wouldn't want me dwelling and blaming myself for the rest of my life." Ichigo spoke with conviction.

 _***SoD***_

The newest Arrancar spent the rest of the day recovering from the spar and simply enjoying the company of his friends.

That evening found the young Shinigami hybrid sitting on the railing of his balcony, gazing at the artificial moon that had been setup in Las Noches.

"Come in." the boy called out, seemingly to no one, but the message had been received and the door to his chambers slid open as a sheepish looking green haired Espada entered the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"How did you know I was there? I thought I had suppressed my energy enough to slip past everyone." The female asked, almost whispering in embarrassment.

Ichigo just gave her a warm smile before responding. "I always know where you four are. I feel linked to each of you to such a degree that I can almost sense what you are feeling… that and you were muttering to yourself outside my door for about five minutes." A smirk was sent toward the Espada with the last statement.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Nelliel asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I haven't been able to sleep too well since I have arrived. At first I think it was just the stress of everything and the atmosphere being so different, but now it's the dreams I have when I do manage to fall asleep. I just keep seeing their faces, over and over. I hear their screams, their cries for help. Other I watch myself trying to protect them but finding I am too late to save them, or I am forced to watch them die, powerless to stop it."

Nelliel had slowly moved to the balcony with the room's owner, taking a seat opposite him on the railing and gazed up at the night sky before giving a sigh herself.

"I had trouble with sleeping my first month or so here as well." The Espada spoke as if deep in thought. "It was the night sky, the stars and moon here are different than in Hueco Mundo. I was so used to sleeping outside that I couldn't even fall asleep in a bed, and when I tried to sleep out here under the sky it was even worse. I could tell that the stars were… fake and artificial, I felt caged."

"Why did you join the Espada, if you don't mind me asking?" Ichigo suddenly spoke after a few minutes of content silence.

The beauty in front of him turned to face the man, "For my Fraccion, they are family to me. We have been together since I was an Adjucha. What you are probably unaware of is that female Hollows are often targeted by male Hollows. We are seen as physically weaker, but my Fraccion never saw me that way. Even with the danger of being associated with a female they stuck with me and we protected each other."

"Eventually we were found and approached by Aizen, he gave us the opportunity to become Arrancar, to be safe and protected from other Hollows and even Shinigami. He gave me the opportunity to protect those that I care about in a way I would have never been able to before." Nelliel finished, feeling a bit more connected with the boy now that she had shared that part of her life with him.

"Unfortunately it is similar to the world of the living in some regards. Women are seen as being physically weaker than men in many regards. That is one of the reasons that my friend Tatsuki trained so hard, to show that she was just as skilled and strong as any guy was." Ichigo replied turning his attention to the woman in front of him.

Close to an hour passed, filled with light conversation and comfortable silences between the two companions until Ichigo let out a sigh.

"I suppose I need to try and get some rest. Aizen-Sama informed me that I will be doing a training session tomorrow night regarding some of the new Cero's I have created." The boy reluctantly stated as he made his way back into his room and towards his bed.

Nelliel walked to the door, and upon reaching it hesitated. Her hand rested on the door knob as if debating something, which Ichigo instantly noticed.

"Something wrong Nelliel?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo, could I… stay here with you tonight? I feel much more relaxed around you than I can ever remember being and I was wondering if I could just sleep in here with you." Nelliel asked her eyes glued to the floor.

"Sure Nelliel, I would like that."

"You can just call me Nel, actually."

Ichigo gave her a warm smile before moving under the covers, with Nel taking the spot next to him.

Within minutes Ichigo found himself drifting off to sleep and feeling far more comfortable than he had been since arriving in Hueco Mundo, maybe even since his mother had been alive.

Just before rest overcame him completely he felt Nel slide over closer toward him, pressing her back against his chest and nuzzling into his body.

Both Arrancar fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

 _***SoD***_

The following morning Harribel met up with Stark and Ulquiorra for breakfast, but all three quickly noticed that two of their members were missing, which was quite strange for the green haired member of their group.

"So… I noticed that Nelliel and Ichigo are both absent this morning, a bit peculiar if you ask me." Stark grinned in a knowing way, causing the blonde to glare at the man.

"What are you getting at Stark?" The dark skinned female questioned.

"Nothing at all, I am just talking to fill the silence. Also I find it odd that Nelliel's spirit energy is coming from Ichigo's room, but other than that just making conversation." Stark casually answered taking another bite of his food and avoiding the death gaze being sent towards him by his fellow Espada.

After hearing Stark's claim Harribel had reached out with her Pesquisa and quickly located her fellow Espada's Reiatsu. As the Primera had claimed it was located where Ichigo's quarters were.

'That doesn't mean anything,' Harribel attempted to reassure herself. 'Even if she slept in his room it doesn't prove that he did, or that anything happened except for sleeping. Ichigo is still very young and Nelliel is too kind to have taken advantage of him like that.'

 _***SoD***_

A short time later Aizen strode into the room and addressed the group of Espada and Fraccion.

"We will be having a group training session this evening, I am hoping that Ichigo Kurosaki will be able to explain and teach his new Cero Technique to all of the Espada and maybe even their Fraccion, thereby giving us a new technique that the Shinigami will be unaware and unprepared for." Aizen announced. "Also there will be a surprise presentation of the Hogyoku this afternoon."

As he prepared to leave, and continue giving his orders the ex-Captain paused in the doorway and turned back to the Arrancar, a strange almost puzzled look on his face.

"Do any of you know why Nelliel is currently in Ichigo's quarters?" The Shinigami inquired earning a smirk from the Primera and a frown from the third Espada.

"It seems as though Nelliel spent the night with the boy Aizen-Sama." Ulquiorra reported.

Aizen just gave a thoughtful glance towards the remaining female Espada before nodding his head and proceeding towards the other Espada areas of the fortress.

 _***SoD***_

Later the Espada, along with Ichigo, gathered in a separate chamber to witness the 'presentation' that Aizen had promised. A small humanoid figure lay on the floor, covered in wrappings and contained in a strange crystal like box as Aizen addressed the other Shinigami and Arrancar in the room.

"I am glad you are all here to witness the activation of the Hogyoku, normally we would need to wait even longer for the Hogyoku to fully awaken but it can be briefly brought to full power if infused with twice the power of a Shinigami Captain." Aizen gave a smirk that reeked of superiority before pointing towards the object in the box like structure.

A few moments later a bright purple energy flowed from the sphere into the being on the floor, completely covering it as the light grew brighter and brighter until everyone, save for Ichigo and Aizen, were forced to look away or cover their eyes.

When the glow finally died down all those present widened their eyes in surprise as a small childlike Arrancar stood up.

"Welcome, and what is your name?" Aizen spoke, his voice as smooth as silk.

"Wonderweiss" the now identified Arrancar answered, in an innocent voice, his eyes slowly moving around the room as if in a daze.

"Wonderweiss here will be instrumental in our inevitable victory over Soul Society, as will the training that is scheduled for later this evening. I expect all of you to be there, until then dismissed."

 _***SoD***_

Later that evening the various Espada and Fraccion gathered a distance away from the fortress. Aizen had chosen the spot with his two Lieutenants and were now waiting for the last of the Arrancar to arrive.

As the last member summoned appeared Aizen walked forward to address them, and motioned Ichigo to join him in front of the gathered crowd.

"As all of you are aware, Ichigo Kurosaki has managed to change the fundamental way that a Cero functions. I have spoken with him about teaching this new technique to all of you. War is based on deception and intelligence, knowing what your opponent is capable of while keeping your own abilities a secret will give an advantage to any side in conflict." Aizen spoke, then stepped backwards to put emphasis on the young boy.

"Thank you Aizen-Sama, I appreciate your faith in me. Well let's begin then, when I first came up with the Cero Granada I formed a normal Cero, and then I visualized a barrier being created around the Cero itself, containing it." Ichigo spoke, gesturing for those assembled to start splitting into small groups and begin practicing, which all but a few 'proud' Arrancar did.

"The trick I discovered is to form the containment sphere out of a different type of energy than the Cero, and by imagining the surface made of different properties you can change the way the technique works." Ichigo continued, walking around and observing the various Arrancar's efforts.

Stark found that he was a natural at the technique, as was Lillynette. Harribel and Nel also were making good progress. Ulquiorra found that he had difficulty visualizing the sphere while Grimmjow and Nnoitra simply put too much energy into the attack, often resulting in Cero's firing across the desert wasteland.

Baraggan was refusing to learn "A flawed technique from an imperfect being." Thus he, along with his Fraccion, were sitting on the sidelines.

Yammy had given up after about five minutes into the exercise out of frustration.

Surprisingly Szayel was also learning the technique fairly quickly, along with the three Privaron's

Virtually all of the Fraccion were having trouble, and were tiring out quickly from repeated mishaps.

"Ichigo" The boy in question turned to answer the silver haired Shinigami's call.

"Tell me something, you said that you could 'change the way the technique works'. What do you mean by that?" Gin asked.

"Oh, well I used an impact type in my fight against Stark, essentially when it comes into contact with a solid object it explodes, but there are other forms I have come up with." Ichigo confirmed, and after receiving a nod from the Aizen continued. "For instance by visualizing the barrier as degrading you can set create a timed attack that will detonate after a set time. Also if the barrier is tuned to a slightly different frequency than your own spirit you can create a remote detonating attack. I have been working on a way to have the technique go off when it is nearby a target as well but that one is proving a bit more difficult." The hybrid answered with a shrug.

When he turned back to the Arrancar he noticed that his 'students' were all staring at him wide eyed. This man had taken a fundamental Hollow technique and changed it in only a few weeks, and then continued altering it like it was child's play to him.

"Quite impressive Ichigo, once again you have exceeded all of my expectations and then some." Aizen answered, already strategizing about ways to incorporate a constantly evolving technique into his army.

 _***SoD***_

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"Tell me something Captain Aizen," Gin questioned an hour or so later while the Arrancar were taking a break. "Have you figured out exactly what has happened to Ichigo and the four Espada that were exposed to his transformation?"

Aizen glanced over at the ever smiling Shinigami before sending him a knowing smirk of his own.

"I believe so Gin. I was planning on keeping them guessing, to see if they could figure it out on their own but I suppose it would not hurt to answer the question."

When the others heard this they began slowly moving closer to their leader. Even Baraggan, who had been sitting on his 'throne' up until that point, seemed interested.

"You see the Hogyoku has the ability to remove the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow, allowing a being to tap into the capabilities of both. What I believe occurred is that when the Hogyoku was exposed to both Ichigo's and my power at the same time it fully awakened and fused Ichigo's inner Hollow with him, along with his Zanpakuto spirit. When the other Espada were exposed to this they underwent the same transformation, essentially becoming the first 'perfect' hybrids ever created, true fusions between Shinigami and Hollow."

"Bah if anything they are a disgrace to their former selves, they have lost the pride of being Hollows and have taken on the defiled and flawed form of Shinigami's." Baraggan proclaimed, to the annoyance of the Espada in question.

"Well regardless of what you might think Baraggan I see only potential in these new transformations. If I could replicate this process I would have transformed all of the Arrancar by now, seeing as how it has increased their strength and given their powers new development." Aizen spoke, sending the elder Arrancar a purposeful glare.

 _***SoD***_

An hour later Aizen declared that the training would be over for the time being and encouraged the Arrancar to continue practicing these techniques, albeit outside of Las Noches.

Suddenly a young female Arrancar appeared before the leader. Ichigo recognized the blonde as one of Aizen's personal servants. Menoly was her name if he remembered correctly.

"Lord Aizen," she spoke, a bit out of breath and immediately kneeled before the Shinigami. "I bring terrible news! Someone has broken into the chamber in which the Hogyoku is kept."

Aizen's facial expression darkened as he sent a glance to the former Shinigami. "Ichigo please check on the Hogyoku and ascertain its status, I will be there momentarily."

Ichigo gave a nod, and vanished from the area, again slipping past all attempts at following his movements.

"All Espada and Fraccion are to return to Las Noches immediately, we will be having an emergency meeting in one hour."

And with that the Lord of Las Noches vanished, with his two Shinigami officers, in a flicker of Shunpo.

***A/N***

A bit of a shorter chapter this time, I didn't want to get started into the real fun stuff and have to leave at an awkward spot though.

The Espada have begun copying Ichigo's techniques now, some of you might notice that I took the inspiration for the training from the 'cannonball' section that Ichigo had with the Shiba's.

The poll results are in and *Drum Roll*

The winner is Ichigo X Nelliel & Harribel! Not that surprising actually since they won by a clear margin. As I have mentioned I had a plan for each of the results so let the relationships begin, as you noticed I already started with Nel, who I figure would be easier to start a relationship with due to her personality.

The next chapter will start in on a mini-arc that Ichigo will be undertaking, and completely separate from canon, so I hope you all enjoy it!

I hope you all enjoyed the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing.

 **Translations:**

Cero Granada - basically Zero Grenade, or Cero Grenade as I prefer.

Cadenas de Sombra – Shadow Chains


	14. Plans and Pursuit

**Shadows of Deceit**

Plans of Pursuit

I really appreciate all of the Reviews and favorites and likes and follows and…

***There is no implied ownership by me unto the story or subject for which I write. ***

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo arrived instantly at the holding chamber for the Hogyoku and, with a glance, noticed that the decoy had indeed been taken. The funny thing was that the perpetrators had left residual energy all over the place, showing an utter lack of concern for stealth.

After securing the room Ichigo closed his eyes and, ignoring all of his other senses, focused solely on his sixth sense, the ability to sense energy. He reached out with it, locking on to every Arrancar signature in Las Noches, and then expanded. Soon his senses passed the training area as he continued his search.

A moment later he located the three thieves, they were heading into the Forest of Menos.

The boy remembered being told that the forest was watched over by an Adjuchas-class Hollow who had been appointed by Aizen. He was shaken from his thoughts as he felt Aizen and the other Shinigami's arrival and reactivated his normal senses to greet the man.

"Aizen-Sama, it appears that the culprits have taken the 'Hogyoku'." Ichigo spoke giving Aizen a slight nod, informing him of the plan's success. "I have traced their spiritual signatures to the Forest of Menos, they are preparing to enter it now. Would you like me to retrieve it?"

"Not at this time Ichigo, with the Hogyoku still asleep it poses no advantage for them or threat to us. I am more curious to see what they are doing in an area supposedly under my control. I want you to follow and observe them Ichigo. Once you have identified their final destination, and reason behind the theft, report back to me with your findings. I will take appropriate action at that time." Aizen commanded.

Ichigo gave a nod and vanished from sight once more, eliciting a curious glance from his two officers.

"Captain Aizen, would it not be easier to just put down this small 'uprising' now? I doubt that the boy would have any trouble doing so." Gin questioned, with Tousen nodding in agreement.

"Oh I have no doubt the boy could tear them apart if ordered to do so, but this presents a unique opportunity to test the boy for plans I have in the future. More importantly than that though, this plot had to come from higher up than those three, I have been well aware of their traitorous activities but I want to know how far this rebellion goes." The leader of the Arrancar responded, earning a grin from the silver haired Shinigami.

"A truly great plan Lord Aizen, we never had any doubt in our minds of your abilities. What is your will?" Tousen faithfully spoke with a bow.

"I would like you both to make a list of Arrancar that you would like to recommend for combat duty should the need arise to 'cleanse' the Forest, have it prepared in an hour." Aizen spoke with a smile forming on his face.

"As you command my lord," Tousen answered and turned to leave the chamber, with Gin muttering "kiss ass" as he too left.

Aizen simply shook his head with a smile at the two's antics.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo found the assignment to be boring, incredibly boring in fact. The three Arrancar were so slow it was actually painful, and they kept stopping to take breaks.

'Did they seriously think that they could just steal something so important and walk away?' the Hybrid thought absently before redirecting his attention back to the group.

Even when they rested they had no guard on watch, which gave Ichigo pause the first time they had stopped, it was almost as if they were setting a trap to lure in any potential followers. These thoughts had vanished when they started arguing and two had almost gotten into a fight before their 'leader' had stopped them.

Soon though the culprits reached their destination, a large fortress like construct made from parts of the trees and rocks, apparently the only things they could find. The three Arrancar knocked on the door in what appeared to be a code and were ushered in by a nervous looking Hollow, who then swept the area with his gaze before closing the door again.

 _***SoD***_

An hour after the loyal Arrancar returned to Las Noches they gathered together in the meeting room, as ordered by their master.

The silence was quickly broken by excited chatter, trying to determine who was behind the theft and what Aizen might do about it.

Most agreed that a retrieval party would be formed, and the guilty would be executed for treason. The one topic that seemed to gain the most curiosity though was why Aizen had not immediately ordered for all Espada to be deployed. It was no secret that the Hogyoku was the key in their potential victory, Aizen had said so numerous times.

Stark, who had been silently in thought up until that point, suddenly spoke his thoughts on the topic.

"My guess is that Aizen wants to find out how many are actually involved in this plot, I really doubt that any Arrancar not strong enough to be a Fraccion or Espada would have the courage to conduct such a plan, so it stands to reason that there is some sort of conspiracy."

"Do you think Aizen-Sama suspects one of us to be involved?" Szayel asked, curious as ever.

"Hard to tell, even if he did we would never know until it is too late though." Harribel answered as she glanced around the room, as if to inspect her fellow Arrancar.

"Bah those involved are merely insects to be stepped on by our greatness, the fact that they managed to steal the Hogyoku just shows how pathetic they are. Like thieves in the night they assume that a single object can win a war." Baraggan growled out. He had seemingly taken the most offense at the theft, as if the Hogyoku was a holy relic.

"It is most curious that anyone was able to steal the Hogyoku in the first place, after all Aizen-Sama normally keeps it with him at all times. For him to leave it unguarded feels like he wanted someone to…" Before Ulquiorra could finish his analysis the doors opened to reveal Aizen and his two companions.

The odd thing was that although Aizen and Tousen appeared calm and collected, as always, Gin, however, was furiously writing on a piece of paper. He would stop occasionally, erase a large portion, and then rewrite it.

The entire time the ex-Captain had been muttering to himself statements along the lines of "no no no that won't do too obvious" or "oh that would be hilarious, think of the conflicts!" and finally "yep definitely this, gosh I am hysterical."

Aizen and his associates took their normal seats, while Stark curiously eyed the empty seat between the two Female Espada.

Clearing his throat to call attention to himself Stark asked a question that had been on his mind for a while at this moment, "Aizen-Sama, where is Ichigo?"

"Ah you noticed that Ichigo is not present with us have you Stark? I will address this in a moment, but first tea."

After the Arrancar had been served Aizen became serious as he took the two lists from his associates and allowed his gaze to wander around the room.

"As you all are aware, the Hogyoku has indeed been stolen." Aizen paused to allow the mutterings that had started to settle down, "I sent young Ichigo on a mission to follow the culprits to ascertain their motives behind the theft and to obtain any further information on those responsible. His initial report was that the three had fled to the Forest of Menos, whether this means they have further allies or not is something we will ask when he returns."

Just as Aizen finished his statement Ichigo appeared out of thin air and, after bowing respectfully, took his seat.

"Aizen-Sama I have finished my mission as ordered." The boy announced before looking to his leader for further instructions.

"Very good Ichigo, I assume that you were able to track the Arrancar without being spotted then?"

"Yes, it seems they have set up a small fortress in the Forest of Menos. The three Numeros are in the company of what appears to be half a dozen high powered Arrancar, five other Adjucha-class Hollows, along with the Guardian of the Forest. Finally their leader seems to be an Espada class Arrancar." Ichigo reported.

Several moments followed with the silence being broken by the anxious mutterings of the other Arrancar, Ichigo remained silent, having chosen to ignore them.

"Do you know what they intend to do with the Hogyoku Ichigo?" Aizen questioned.

"The leader seems confident that he will be able to awaken it, and then build a massive Arrancar army from Hollows in the forest. Subsequently he plans on storming Las Noches and taking the throne for himself." The young man replied.

"I see… I am sure you are all wondering about the notes that Gin and Tousen handed to me prior to the meeting, I have asked them to create a list of suggested teams to be sent after the Hogyoku, if we faced a large scale rebellion." The former Captain's voice rang out in the chamber.

The man glanced down at the sheets, carefully reading over Tousen's meticulous hand writing. All of his suggestions were very strategic team ups, having fighters that complimented each other in every way while maintaining a structure of command.

Gin's on the other hand look like they had been scribbled in crayon which, judging by the colors, they had. Aizen let out a sigh at his former lieutenant's antics. Reading it over the man found that the suggestions revolved around creating as much conflict, excitement as he called it, as possible. He even had included a scale to gauge how much fun the teams would create.

When he reached the last suggestion on the list, coincidently labeled "I saved the best for last" the leader glanced over it, and then looked up over at the ex-Captain, who was sporting the biggest grin possible.

"Come on Captain Aizen… you know you want to…" Gin replied, as if knowing what Aizen had just read.

For his efforts Aizen just let out a sigh and an amused smile as he shook his head, he always could count on Gin to liven up the situation.

"I have decided on the team that will be sent to deal with this 'coup' as it were." Aizen commanded, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Harribel, you will lead a group composed of Nnoitra and his Fraccion, as well as the Fraccion of yourself and Grimmjow's. Finally I will be sending Ichigo Kurosaki along, since he will be guiding you through the forest."

Harribel simply gave a nod, ignoring the excited feeling that had arisen when learning she would be with Ichigo.

"Outrageous! I refuse to be placed under the command of an Arrancar that no longer bears the marks of a Hollow, especially a female!" Nnoitra practically shouted out.

Aizen merely turned to said Espada and gave him a questioning glance.

"I am afraid I misunderstood you Nnoitra, I thought I heard you ignoring one of my direct orders, but I know that cannot be the case after all…" the leader responded, focusing his spiritual power on the Espada, sending him crashing to his knees, "I am the Lord of Las Noches, and the commander of this army. To disobey an order would put you in the same position as those who are currently rebelling and if that were true then I would be forced to have one of the others kill you and take your place. Although I am sure that Grimmjow wouldn't mind a promotion." The Shinigami spoke, his voice drifting off as if considering the pros and cons of the decision.

"N-Not at all Lord Aizen," Nnoitra managed to whimper out, much to Grimmjow's amusement. "I would be happy to follow your command, forgive my outburst."

Suddenly the spiritual pressure eased as Tesra knelt by his master, attempting to help him up, but was pushed back as his master climbed into his chair once more.

"Now then unless there are any more questions you are all dismissed, save for Harribel. The members of her team are to gather at the gate of Las Noches in half an hour." The ex-Captain commanded before the various Arrancar made to leave.

Harribel stood perfectly straight, in a military like pose, before her leader as the last Arrancar left the room. Aizen gave the woman a warm smile and motioned for her to relax and to sit at a chair next to him.

"Harribel, do you know why I have asked you to speak with me in private?"

"I assume it is involving my mission Aizen-Sama."

"Normally you would be correct, however this time I have a slightly different topic I wish to speak to you about one of the newer additions to our army, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen smirked as the Espada in front of him tried to hide a faint blush that appeared on her face, but failed.

"Of course Aizen-Sama, What do you wish to discuss?"

"It has come to my attention that Nelliel has grown quite fond of the boy, including spending the night with him if Ulquiorra's report is true. I wish to know what your feelings are concerning him."

"I feel that he is an interesting being. He is unlike any other Arrancar I have ever encountered and will undoubtedly become a powerful factor in the upcoming war."

"Oh yes of that I have no doubt, but I am more concerned with your personal feelings towards the boy."

"W-Whatever do you mean Aizen-Sama?" the dark skinned Arrancar sputtered out, turning even brighter red and suddenly being unable to meet the man's gaze.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, but clearly you feel uncomfortable with these feelings so I will leave you to sort them out. I only ask that you take into account his feelings before you decide on any actions. He is incredibly powerful but he is still a child based on his age, and he is still new to romantic feelings and relationships. Do not block out your own feelings though, I wish to see all of my Espada, current and future, happy. These bonds that form between all of you will affect not only your personal lives but also the war, and the lives you will live after it is over."

With that Aizen dismissed the Espada, telling her to prepare herself for the team meeting she will be having, and stressing that they could not afford to lose any powerful warriors so close to the beginning of the conflict with Soul Society.

 _***SoD***_

Harribel waited patiently for the rest of her unit to arrive, as the team leader she preceded to the staging area immediately after her talk with Aizen.

The Espada began to think over her assigned team, and assess each of their abilities with what she knew.

Grimmjow's Fraccion were loyal, but their teamwork as a unit was questionable. They were fairly strong individually though and could probably hold off any lesser hollows that might try to interfere. Although they were reportedly Adjucha-Class she doubted they could fight at a Captain level.

Next came her own Fraccion, and while she loved them dearly the dark skinned woman was hoping that Aizen would change his mind about sending them into combat. As a team they were strong, possibly the best Fraccion team in Las Noches, but individually they suffered, and with the numbers against them in the upcoming fight Harribel was worried, especially with the benefits that stealth would have, which the three sorely lacked skill in.

Then there was the largest problem in the group, Nnoitra and his pet Fraccion. Even if the Espada was ranked sixth, his personality left much to be desired. Not only did he flat out refuse to take orders from female Espada, as he had shown during previous training exercises as well as earlier that day, but his skills in combat did not make up for his shortcomings. Sure he claimed to have the strongest Hierro of all the Espada, and that might even be true, but it was far from invulnerability, as Nelliel had shown many times. Besides that his Sonido was lacking, his swordsmanship was average among the Espada, and often revolved around trying to overwhelm his opponents. He was virtually inept at hand to hand combat and his Cero really wasn't all that impressive. Finally he had never shown any real ability in teamwork or leadership, both which would be very important during this mission.

Tesra was halfway decent as an Arrancar but his fanatically blind devotion, more like hero worship, of his Espada was irritating at best, and dangerous at worst.

The only saving grace in this entire situation was the fact that Aizen had sent Ichigo to guide them to their target. Hopefully the new Arrancar would stick around and help them through the rest of the mission as well.

As Harribel's thoughts drifted back to the boy she realized how much he had already impressed her. He was a natural at all forms of combat, despite the fact that he had only recently begun training with them. His swordsmanship easily rivaled the top Espada and his normal Sonido was incredibly fast and accurate, saying nothing of his unique form of movement which he was very secretive about. Then there was the fact that he had created a new version of Cero, with no outside help, in only a few weeks. Finally his teamwork during the few sessions that Stark had lead was incredible, it was almost like he could read the thoughts of his allies, and know how to help and when to step in.

Suddenly Harribel was brought out of deep thoughts when a voice called out from next to her.

"Penny for your thoughts Harribel?" The teen inquired, startling the Espada which caused her to draw her blade without thinking and bring it up to his throat in a threatening manner.

For his part the new Arrancar did not even flinch at the feeling of the blade, and simply stared into her eyes, still waiting for an answer to his question.

"I-Ichigo! I am so sorry, I did not… I mean… I would never…" Harribel quickly lowered her blade, and her eyes to the floor, ashamed that she had almost seriously injured the boy who had only tried to talk to her.

"It's alright, you didn't actually hurt me you know, and it is my fault anyway, I shouldn't have startled you like that. It is still hard to remember that my presence is usually invisible. Maybe I should wear bells in my hair or something." Ichigo chuckled, remembering the antics of Kenpachi from Soul Society.

"Why would you wear bells in your hair? Also your hair is a bit short for that sort of thing." The dark skinned female remarked bluntly.

"Never mind, so what is the plan for the upcoming mission? I know that Aizen-Sama wants me to lead you to where the traitors are gathering but I wasn't sure if you had any plan for what you would do afterwards."

"Actually I had been planning on talking to you about that Ichigo. You know better than anyone what we are up against and I was hoping that you would be able to aid us in battle. I am sure that we would succeed regardless, but I cannot guarantee every member of our party returning as our forces are now. With your help though our odds would be significantly higher."

"Of course, I would be glad to help Harribel…" Ichigo began before being interrupted as Nnoitra and the other Fraccion entered the area.

"Why in the hell are we asking for this freaks help?" the Sixth Espada snarled out. "First Aizen-Sama puts you in charge and now you are asking this reject to help us? Let me save you the trouble, I can handle any shitty lower class Hollow or Numeros by myself, all you have to do is keep the other weaklings out of my way and just let the man do his job."

Harribel sent the Espada a glare as she took a few moments to calm herself, and not rip the offending man's head off.

"While I am certainly happy enough to let you run in and get ripped to shreds Nnoitra, I have been ordered not to take any casualties, especially from the Espada class, during this mission, which means I am required to keep you sorry ass alive. So we will be doing things my way, aka the smart way." Harribel countered, then turned to address the rest of the assembled Arrancar.

"We will be following Ichigo's directions until we are just outside of their detection range, then we wait for nightfall and ascertain the situation then. Most likely we will be using stealth to take out as many enemies as possible before making our full assault." The female ordered.

"The fortress is about an hour travel into the actual forest by my estimation, if we intend to setup camp before nightfall I would recommend leaving soon." Ichigo calmly spoke, receiving a nod from all those present, except for Nnoitra who merely grunted in answer.

 _***SoD***_

As the group made their way through the Forest of Menos, Ichigo moved to scout ahead, wanting to ensure that they did not run into any enemy scouts and to find a place to rest before the attack.

About fifteen minutes before the group reached the enemy base the boy appeared among them and signaled to follow him a short distance away. He had located a secluded cave that was large enough to house all of them comfortably and hidden enough to avoid any casual patrols.

Once the team had settled down, and had devoured the small amount of supplies that they had packed as a precaution, most of the group moved off into their own groups. Tesra and Nnoitra in a far off corner, Grimmjow's Fraccion in another, the Tres Bestias far away from the other two groups and finally Ichigo, seated close to the cave entrance since he had volunteered to take the first watch.

"You asked before what I was thinking about, now I wish to return the gesture. Are you okay Ichigo?" Harribel asked as she sat down across from the young man.

"Yeah I'm fine, just thinking is all. Sometimes I wonder how I ever found myself in this situation. I mean less than a year ago I was just a normal kid, going to school and dealing with his ridiculous father. Now I am sitting in a cave with a bunch of Arrancar, who are currently at war with Soul Society, and helping to lead a mission to infiltrate and eliminate a group of traitors, for a traitor."

"Well when you put it like that it does seem rather strange, but I prefer to think of things in simpler ways. It makes dealing with life and death far easier in my opinion." The Espada answered, and seeing the confused look on the boy's face, elaborated with a slight chuckle.

"I would say that you went from one life to another, and now you are in a place surrounded by friends, while going after those who threaten the ones you care about. It is the same mentality I had to adopt when I first arrived in Las Noches. Before I became an Espada many of these Arrancar would probably have tried to kill me, but now they are my comrades. Some are even closer to what I would call family. I just have to keep telling myself that what is important is the here and now, those who dwell on the past can never see into the future." Harribel finished.

Ichigo gave the woman a warm smile before thanking her for the advice.

"You're right, I have been telling myself that since I have been here and yet I still find it difficult to just let go of everything that has brought me to this point. How do I forget the sacrifices that others have made for me?"

"You don't" the woman answered, bluntly. "You never forget the sacrifices others have made you just thank them and learn from them. Honor what they did and why they did it to someday earn what they gave up for you."

Again Ichigo gave her a smile. "You know I don't care what Stark says about you, there is an air of wisdom that you exude." Ichigo added with a smirk, trying to tease the Espada.

"Well I appreciate your honesty Ichigo. Your kindness more than makes up for the 'shortcomings' in other places that Nelliel mentioned she had discovered last night." Harribel responded innocently, while Ichigo tried to form a coherent sentence to respond to the teasing.

Several minutes passed, as a comfortable silence had formed between the two, the others in the cave had finally quieted down into conversations barely above a whisper and the surrounding forest seemed to have lulled into a peaceful state as well.

Finally Ichigo recalled something he had been thinking about for some time now and decided that Harribel might be the best one to ask.

"Oh before I forget, I have been meaning to ask someone, is there a trick to this Resurreccion thing? I mean most, if not all, of the Arrancar claim to be able to do it and yet I haven't the slightest clue." Ichigo asked, scratching his head in thought while trying not to look embarrassed at his lack of knowledge, or the woman's earlier comment.

The dark skinned Espada in question looked him directly in the eyes before responding, "There is actually, most newly formed Arrancar are able to perform it easily since we are more connected to our Hollow mindset and emotions but you will probably have a harder time. Resurreccion is when we allow our minds, and souls, to fall back into the feelings that defined our evolution into unique Hollows in the first place. For Espada these are our 'Death Aspects' as Aizen likes to call them, they are our reasons for evolution and the driving force for many of us."

"Death Aspects?" The hybrid asked out loud, as if pondering the statement.

"Yes, for instance mine is sacrifice, in order to activate my Resurreccion I must put my mind and soul into a state that remembers those who have or would give their lives for me, and those that I would give my life for." Harribel answered, watching the boy make various connections in his head before he gave out a long sigh.

"Whatever my aspect might be, I know it is not going to be a pleasant thing to recall." Ichigo answered as he once again allowed a comfortable silence to fall over the cave.

'For once Ichigo I hope you are wrong. If it is true though, I hope that we are strong enough to win this war without you having to go into this dark place' Harribel prayed before allowing herself a few hours of rest.

***A/N***

I would like to thank everyone who has been shouting out ideas for the writer's block I have been having. I really wish the anonymous user who had given me like four paragraphs had a username because holy crap those were some helpful ideas.

As you see I am working on Harribel and Ichigo's relationship since I think that one is going to be the hardest to actually get them together, what with her being so cold in the actual manga.

As for the Resurreccion thing, it was never really explained how it was achieved in the manga… so I made crap up! Seems to fit okay though.

I hope you all enjoyed what is now my longest chapter, albeit with no action, I promise next chapter many asses will be kicked!


	15. A not so Civil War

**Shadows of Deceit**

A not so Civil War

A huge thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, or favorited my story!

***I own nothing, except for the stuff I make up, and even those are owned by the voices in my head.

 _***SoD***_

A few hours into the night Harribel decided to begin the operation, which Nnoitra had affectionately named "Operation Kick Ass". She ordered the various team members to split into two groups, one would be led by herself and the other would follow Nnoitra's lead.

The Sixth Espada would gather his forces at the front gate, and upon the woman's signal would launch a massive assault.

Meanwhile the other team would sneak into the base, and create a distraction thus confusing the forces stationed inside.

Both Espada came to the conclusion that the enemy forces would head towards the main gate once the fighting started, and thus Harribel would be picking off the strongest Arrancar as they made their way towards the main battle.

The Third Espada chose her three Fraccion and Ichigo to accompany her into the fortress, while the other seven Arrancar would form the second group.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo informed the dark skinned woman that he could provide them a safe location to infiltrate, and then would lead them through the halls in such a way as to avoid any major patrols, assuming that they could mask their own presence enough.

The plan started off well, and the stealth group managed to sneak into the base quite easily. They then made their way toward the Hogyoku chamber, wanting to capture or kill the enemy leader as soon as possible.

On the way there the three Fraccion had taken it upon themselves to "remove" a few of the basic Hollows that seemed to have gathered under the leadership of the new "Lord of Hueco Mundo".

After locating the throne room Harribel decided to send the signal, and fired a Cero down the hall, causing a large explosion and wiping out a large number of generic Hollows along with a section of the base.

A few seconds later another explosion rocketed the front entrance, signaling that Nnoitra had begun his assault and, if the laughter that echoed through the halls was any indication, he was enjoying himself tremendously.

 _***SoD***_

A few moments after the assault began Harribel decided it was time to announce her presence. After kicking the doors in, she strode in casually glancing about for the leader of the rebellion, instead finding the three Arrancar responsible for the initial theft.

"What a surprise, Patros, Menis, and Aldegor." Harribel addressed the three who stared back at her, shocked that an Espada could infiltrate this far into their fortress.

"Tier Harribel!? How did you get in here?" Patros asked in a startled tone.

"What you didn't think that a group of Arrancar could sneak into your little base of operations so easily?" Harribel inquired with a chuckle, as her Fraccion assumed combat stances.

"My my my, what do we have here?" Asked a male voice, the owner of which stepped out from a nearby room.

"Luppi!" The three weaker females exclaimed as the Espada narrowed her eyes in anger at the figure. The man proceeded to make a slight gesture, causing other Arrancar to burst through nearby doors.

"We are surrounded" The dark skinned Espada growled out, angry at herself for leading her team into a trap.

"Who the heck is Luppi?" Ichigo suddenly asked, immediately defusing the hostility in the room as everyone turned to him. "What? I feel left out since I am the only one here who does not know who the enemy is, I feel more out of place than Barragan in a swimsuit competition."

Apacci and Mila Rose immediately burst out into fits of laughter as Sung-Sun attempted to cover up her own amusement with her sleeve. Even Harribel let out a chuckle at the boys antics.

"I am Luppi. You should know who I am since I have declared myself the future ruler of Las Noches, and master of the Hogyoku." The arrogant man spoke, before motioning to his followers. "These, as most of you recognize, are the remains of the Privaron Espada. Like me they were tossed aside in favor of 'superior' Arrancar. We will overthrow Aizen, and show everyone who the true rulers of Hueco Mundo are!"

"Wait so you guys are like Aaroniero and the other three of them?" Ichigo asked, a bit confused at the current situation. "Shouldn't you be with Aizen-Sama then?"

"Fool, we would never follow a mere Shinigami! We only acted the part of loyal followers in order to learn his weaknesses. Then we waited for the perfect moment to rebel, and when Lord Luppi was scorned and tossed aside we knew that a fellow companion had emerged." A large male Arrancar declared.

"First we will crush you five, and then eliminate your friends. Even if they manage to kill the lesser soldiers at the front gate, we will simply replace the weak fodder with more soldiers that will flock to us once we prove our strength." Another male answered this one with curly blonde hair.

"Mila, Apacci, Sung-Sun, you three take care of Patros and his two allies, Ichigo and I will handle the other seven, once you three take care of them you can support us as needed." The female leader commanded.

The three nodded as Patros announced that they should fight in a separate room, to avoid any collateral damage from the inevitable defeat of the two remaining loyal Arrancar.

 _***SoD***_

"So what's the plan commander?" Ichigo asked with a smirk, as Harribel returned it with a playful glare.

"Well I would say you take the seven, and I will sit back on the comfortable looking throne and enjoy the fight, but I wouldn't want them messing up that pretty face of yours." Harribel teased back, gaining an eyebrow raise from her companion.

"So you think my face is pretty huh?" Ichigo chuckled, while the woman hid her faint blush under her collar.

"Enough! Toki, Hirota, and Arakaki, we will defeat the Tres Espada and then help Yozo, Fuma, and Oinuma mop up whatever is left of the whelp, and then we can destroy the rest of the pests." Luppi ordered, causing the group of seven Arrancar to split into two groups, and attack their designated opponents.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile outside of the fortress…

"MEN! I see in your eyes the same fear that I would expect from one of those girly boys back in Las Noches, like the Privaron. BUT FEAR NOT BECAUSE THOUGH THEY MAY TAKE _YOUR_ LIVES THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM! I am here to lead you to a glorious victory! One that shall be written throughout the annals of history, ours shall be a battle to be studied throughout time as…"

Nnoitra' speech was interrupted by Tesra silently motioning for his attention.

"Umm sir? It appears as though the enemy did not wait for you to finish…. We are completely surrounded…"

The eyepatch wearing man blinked a few times in confusion before snarling.

"RIDICULOUS! WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF STEALTH AND…"

"We can hear you shouting you jackass!" a voice called out from the nearby enemy forces.

"Bah no matter, time for plan B! CHARGE THE ENEMY BLINDLY!"

The Fraccion sweat dropped as their 'leader' proceeded to run towards the enemy, laughing like a lunatic while doing so.

"Does anyone else have the strange feeling that we are not going to survive this fight?" Yylfordt muttered out before taking up a defensive position with his fellow Arrancar.

The five Fraccion gathered into a small circle, to avoid being flanked and prepared themselves for combat.

Meanwhile Tesra was busy trying to catch up to his Espada's murderous rampage as the scrawny man cleaved his way haphazardly through the enemy forces, not even bothering to try to block or dodge since none were able to physically injure him.

 _***SoD***_

The three female Fraccion were having a bit harder of a time than their companions.

Individually they were outclassed by their opponents, thus they had been forced to rely solely on teamwork and tactics against their adversaries.

Unfortunately the men had quickly seen through this, and began pressuring each woman individually to isolate them and remove their ability to fight as a group.

It was beginning to wear on all three of them and their reserves.

Thankfully Sung-Sun had spotted an obvious weakness in the opposing team.

"Before we continue this match I would like to inquire as to the ranking of you three, Patros seems to be the leader but I am not sure as to whether or not he is the most powerful."

"Bah of course he isn't the most powerful, I am clearly the power out of us three while Aldegor is the brawn." Menis replied cockily.

"Speak for yourself asshole, you couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag." The larger man shot back angrily.

"Oh yeah? Well at least I wasn't remarked as being 'one of the dumbest Arrancar that I have ever been unfortunate enough to be in the presence of' by that blind Shinigami freak."

"Well at least I am able to see what is going on without having to find a rock to stand on shorty! What's wrong little Menis? Do you need me to find you a box to stand on?"

"ENOUGH! Both of you are giving me a migraine, and while I couldn't care less whether or not you two survive this conflict I will not be brought down by a bunch of scantily clad women!"

"What the hell does that mean Patros? Without us your stupid ass little plan would have failed immediately. It's not like you have any sense of stealth."

"Just because I am not three foot nothing eyesore does not mean I have no concept of stealth. Besides you were only chosen because you are small enough to sneak around without anyone caring to look down enough to see you."

"Oh yeah, well at least I didn't leave my damn spiritual energy all over the damn place so that THE FREAKING THIRD ESPADA could trace me back to our hideout. Not much a plan there champ…"

As the males argued the women had subtly undergone their Ressurreccion transformations and began summon Ayon.

Sung-Sun made a subtle glance over towards Mila Rose before smirking lightly.

"Do you have something to say?" The dark skinned woman growled out, already annoyed at how the battle had gone thus far and being forced to summon their trump card against the traitors.

"Oh nothing, I was just noting that when the enemy made note of us being 'scantily clad' he directed his gaze primarily on you."

Again the woman growled, halfway tempted to start beating her friend but being forced to stand still with the ritual still underway.

Apacci, in the meantime, was trying her hardest to hold in her laughter, which came out as giggling instead.

"At least can notice when I am dressed down, not like there is anything to see on you!" The largest woman turned her attention towards the bluenette, who halted in her snickering and contorted her face in rage.

"You take that back you overgrown…"

"Better than being undergrown!"

"Hussy!"

"Tramp!"

"Fatty!"

"Flat chest!"

"Gorilla!"

"Tom boy!"

"Ladies! Enough just concentrate on finishing the fight first. We can always kill each other when we are back at the base."

The other two reluctantly nodded at the long sleeved girl before finishing their parts and creating the monstrous form of their 'pet'.

Ayon roared out in power and charged the, still arguing male Arrancar.

They reacted immediately, or at least tried to.

Patros was able to put distance between him and the beast, by using Aldegor as a distraction.

It had taken all of two seconds for the monster to tear through him, literally.

Menis had shrieked like a small child and attempted to flee, only to find himself wrapped in the creature's tail and squeezed until his insides burst.

The leader of the three had managed to activate his Ressurreccion just in time to receive a pointblank Cero to the face, effectively blowing his head from his shoulders.

While the girl's grimaced slightly at the bloodied scene they could not help but note the creature's effectiveness, and after dissolving him back into nothingness they went in search of their mistress to aid her if possible.

 _***SoD***_

When the three females arrived they found the corpses several Arrancar on the ground in various states. All but one of Harribel's opponents had been killed, while all but one of Ichigo's opponents remained alive, albeit they were in critical condition.

"Are you three alright?" Harribel inquired as she looked over her Fraccion, noticing the injuries they had sustained.

"Of course Lady Harribel, I am fine, while I can't say the same for these two slackers though." Apacci remarked, and received a glare from her two companions.

"Who the hell are you calling a slacker?" Mila Rose practically shouted, earning a giggle from Sung-Sun.

"What are you laughing at Sung-Sun? You ended up worse than either of us!" Apacci proclaimed towards the third member.

"Perhaps but I did fight the strongest of the three. What is your excuse?" The Arrancar replied.

As the three began bickering the Espada just let out a sigh at their behavior, before glancing over at Ichigo who was looking at her with a faint smile. As much as the boy hated to admit it the 'arguments' reminded him of the Living World and the interactions he saw with his classmates.

"Now that the main threat has been defeated though we should probably check on the other team, hopefully Nnoitra hasn't gotten them all killed." Harribel remarked with a sigh. "Why Aizen ever decided to stick him with our team I will never understand."

"Probably to give Nel a break, he seems to have an unhealthy obsession with her and this way she can get some training in without him pestering her the whole time." The boy answered while shaking his head.

"So it's 'Nel' is it?" Harribel questioned with a smirk that Ichigo was beginning to associate with her and Stark. "Are you sure that nothing happened the night that you and 'Nel' shared a bed?"

With this Ichigo turned beet red as the other three women present grinned mischievously as well.

"Oh my, such vulgar behavior from one so young." Sung-Sun spoke, hiding herself behind her sleeve as usual.

"Yeah, I didn't know you had it in you, seducing an Espada is quite a feat" Mila Rose chimed in, adding to the boy's embarrassment.

"Just as long as you keep your filthy hands and thoughts away from Lady Harribel." Apacci grumbled under her breath, causing the woman in question to blush and turn away coughing to hide her sudden nervousness.

"Actually this does raise a question. Why does it appear as though both of you are unharmed, and not even in your transformed states?" The 'tom boy' Fraccion inquired.

"Did you really think that seven Arrancar, only one of which was strong enough to be considered an Espada, would be able to defeat two of the most powerful warriors of the Espada?" Harribel replied in a monotone.

"I didn't even get to fight much. Harribel finished up with hers in a few seconds and then started picking off the ones I was testing myself against." Ichigo fake whined.

"Not much of a test considering you bested the Primera…" the dark skinned woman muttered back.

"Well well well, look what we have here, our commander and her little group slacking off after the real men do all the hard work" Nnoitra interrupted as he strode into the room cockily, flanked by Grimmjow's Fraccion, who looked a bit worse for wear.

"Nnoitra, glad to see you and your team aren't dead, we were taking wagers and to be honest the odds were not in your favor." Harribel smirked, as the Sixth Espada grew angry.

"Listen here, I don't have a scratch on me, and I would ask you what your kill count is, but quite frankly there is no need. Me and the boys must have taken out at least a hundred or so Hollows in our glorious assault." The frail looking man replied, before glancing around the room with a grin.

"Well congratulations, we have defeated the traitor Luppi, as well as the six Privaron who had refused to join Aizen and his army." Harribel answered as she motioned toward the group of downed enemies.

"Good for freaking you, but I bet that I get the most praise out of everyone, after all I lead the largest group, and we killed the most enemies. Hell we left none alive while you couldn't even finish off seven of them." Nnoitra spoke in a mocking tone, only to receive glares from all of the females present.

"You know what Nnoitra, if you are so hell bent on getting praise from Aizen, then you can go ahead and take it all, I don't really care one way or another." Harribel spoke with finality, before grabbing two of her hostages and making for the door. "Grab the rest of the ones alive for interrogation, we are heading back to Las Noches."

 _***SoD***_

The trip back had been relatively dull.

Harribel had decided that it would be best to make the trip in one attempt rather than rest since she had no interest in spending more time in the Menos Forest than she already had.

When the group arrived back, around dawn, they were greeted by Rudbornn who took the prisoners into custody and told them that Aizen would summon them at a later time. Until then they were free to rest.

At hearing this the group mostly dispersed, Nnoitra and Tesra heading back to their section while Grimmjow's Fraccion left for treatment. Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose also returned to their sleeping quarters for rest and recovery.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was turning to leave for his room when he was stopped by Harribel.

"Ichigo, I was wondering if maybe you would like some company?" the blonde Arrancar inquired, suddenly finding the wall very interesting to stare at.

"Sure Harribel, I would like that. Would you like to come back to my room?" Ichigo responded, feeling as though he slept better with another person next to him.

"I would enjoy that very much thank you."

As the two made their way back to Ichigo's bedroom they were unaware that their movements and conversations were being monitored.

"My my, it looks like Ichigo is quite the lady's man eh Captain Aizen?" Gin asked, his grin as wide as ever.

"Indeed you are correct Gin, this fits into my plans quite nicely, assuming that Nelliel and Harribel do not fight over the boy. He will have more incentive than ever to fight on our side when the Shinigami begin to threaten them." Aizen replied, a smooth smile forming on his face, as the future war turned more and more in his favor with each passing day.

"I am curious what you intend to do with the rebels though, I didn't think you would care so much as to send two Espada to deal with them." Gin inquired, with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Oh I am not interested in them in the least bit, this was far more of a test for Ichigo. I wanted to see how well he would follow orders, as well as allowing him to bond with another Espada. Now that his mission has been accomplished I have a new plan already forming with him in mind, but before that I do believe it is time for the boy to receive a small reward. A token of my gratitude, and a way to further cement his cooperation and allegiance." Aizen added with a smirk, causing his lieutenant to give a curious glance towards the man, wondering what the Shinigami had in store for the boy.

 _***SoD***_

Several hours later a knock on Ichigo's door brought the boy out of his peaceful slumber. As he slipped out of his bed, careful not to wake the sleeping dark skinned beauty who lay next to him, he walked to the entrance and slowly opened the door, already aware of who was on the other side.

"Good morning Ichigo" Stark greeted the boy, and glancing past him into the room gave a large smirk. "I trust you slept well?"

"Very well, thanks for asking I assume I am being summoned by Aizen-Sama?" Ichigo inquired, ignoring Stark's obvious amusement at his sleeping arrangements.

"Indeed, he is also asking for your 'partner' to join as well, it seems he wishes to be debriefed on your mission."

Ichigo simply nodded in response and went back to gently wake the woman, they then proceeded to walk to the assembly hall, while making idle conversation.

Stark, on the other hand, ran off like a giddy school girl that had just heard some juicy gossip.

"Ah Harribel and Ichigo welcome. Please have a seat, Nnoitra will be arriving shortly and then we can get this meeting underway, I am curious to hear your report." Aizen spoke as the two Arrancar entered the room.

Just as predicted a few moments later the last member of the trio entered, grumbling about not getting enough sleep, and sat down a few chairs away from the couple.

"So then, I noticed that you have brought in several captives, I assume then that the rebellion has been dealt with?"

"Of course Lord Aizen. I personally destroyed the Hollow army that had gathered to stand against you, while the 'commander' and 'scout' were busy trying to deal with a small group of Arrancar who were too terrified to meet me in open battle." Nnoitra boasted, earning an eye roll from Ichigo and a bored look from Harribel.

"Oh? Well then your actions are to be commended Nnoitra. For dealing with so many enemies you will be given a reprieve from training for the next two days. You may rest and relax for that period of time." Aizen spoke with a knowing glance toward the other two members in the room.

The man grinned broadly at the praise.

"Harribel you will be having some personalized training sessions with the Primera, until he is satisfied that you are able to handle being in combat again." Harribel just shook her head in amusement, it was hardly a punishment as she now had a reason to spend time with her friends. "As for you Ichigo, I am sending you on a solo mission, to test if you are capable of performing objectives on your own in the field."

Ichigo nodded in acceptance of his "punishment" before asking the question that both he and Harribel had been wondering.

"What is my assignment Aizen-Sama?"

"You will travel to the world of the living to deal with a rogue Arrancar, it appears that it was a naturally created Arrancar and I do not wish for any of our enemies to capture and study it. You are to leave immediately."

"Of course Aizen-Sama, if I may ask, where is the Arrancar likely to be located, and do we have a description of it?"

Aizen gave a devious smile at the question before answering "My information suggests that it will be going to Karakura Town, apparently it was dealt a defeat there once by a young Shinigami and it seeks revenge."

A puzzled look appeared on Ichigo's face before Aizen continued, putting the final piece of the puzzle in place.

"It will not be hard to find I imagine, but just to make certain that you are sure of your target, his name is 'Grand Fisher'".

***A/N***

The original version of this chapter had far lengthier and in depth combat scenes revolving around Ichigo and Harribel, the problem was that this was received very badly, and I admit I had a very hard time writing it. So in the rewrite I have removed the entire scenes completely. Hopefully this makes the chapter better.

I am a bit more excited about this coming chapter, and there is going to be a twist that I doubt anyone will see coming but I feel is very important.

Ichigo and Harribel will begin bonding more as well now that they have a bit of an ice breaker between the two of them, no nothing happened between them during their little slumber party, Ichigo's relationship with both females is still just friendship right now.

Big shout out to RG-Guest for his very helpful reviews and advice, also because I can't message him back like I usually do with reviewers.

As always I hope you all enjoyed the Chapter, and if there is anything anyone would like to see or would change don't hesitate to say so! I might not necessarily do it but I do love all feedback.


	16. Vengeful Apologies

**Shadows of Deceit**

Vengeful Apologies

Thanks to all the encouraging reviews favorites and follows!

***I own none of the things that I write about. ***

 _***SoD***_

As he traveled through the Garganta, Ichigo could not help but let his mind wander to his current task. He had been ordered to seek out the Arrancar, Grand Fisher, and terminate it.

He was aware that Aizen knew of his relationship with the former Hollow, after all the Shinigami had directly mentioned the Hollow to him.

The bigger question was "why?"

Was Aizen rewarding him for his efforts in the so called 'rebellion' or was the man simply trying to get on his good side as much as possible?

Perhaps was there an entirely different reason altogether.

The one thing that Ichigo was certain of was that Aizen never allowed things to just happen. There was always some grand scheme, a domino effect that would be caused by something that appeared irrelevant at the time but would later lead to an outcome no one could predict.

Another interesting question that had been puzzling the boy was if Aizen suspected the boy of having a secondary reason for accepting the mission, it was a personal task that he had not mentioned to his leader, knowing that he would likely disapprove.

Ichigo resolved not to think any further into this, it would simply lead him around in circles until he became frustrated and gave up anyway. The more important thing to think about now was what he would do with the other occupants of Karakura town, specifically his father, Urahara, and Yoruichi.

The new Arrancar was fairly certain that he could pass through the town unnoticed, after all if none of the Espada, or even Aizen himself, could detect his presence there was virtually no way for any of the others to do so by accident.

The larger issue was what would occur if the Shinigami converged on the target before, or even at the same time, as he did. At that point a conflict would most likely be inevitable, despite Aizen's orders to remain undetected.

Briefly the hybrid wondered what the result of that battle would be, if he was forced to fight one of his old 'mentors' or even his father. He was fairly confident he could beat most Shinigami Captains in single combat, but more than one would be taxing. Three at the same time would be pushing his luck and skill considerably, especially if what Aizen said about the skill and power of those three was correct.

 _***SoD***_

At his arrival Ichigo found himself a few miles outside of the actual city.

"Makes sense I suppose, I don't want to draw attention and a Garganta opening directly above a major city would definitely raise some red flags." Ichigo muttered.

The first thing he needed to do was find all the major 'players' in the area. Aizen had suggested this upon his arrival to locate all powerful Shinigami and Arrancar signatures so that he could then plan his approach.

Upon closing his eyes, Ichigo relaxed his body and reached out his sixth sense to a degree he seldom had before. His senses spread out over the city, and quickly located several high energy signatures.

Urahara and Yoruichi were fairly easy to locate, individually they might be fairly challenging but with three, including Tessai, signatures in one area it was pretty hard to miss. Next he found the familiar signature of his father, although it had grown considerably it was simply the fact that it remained familiar which made it so easy to locate. Finally he found the signatures he was looking for, the isolated Arrancar.

Luckily for the boy the Arrancar was still situated far enough from the Shinigami that it did not appear they were aware of his existence.

It was time.

It was time for the rematch that Ichigo had been waiting for since he had first encountered the Hollow, the most important rematch of his life.

 _***SoD***_

'Where is that mangy human?' The new Grand Fisher thought as it stalked through the streets of the city.

It had been months since their first encounter but the boy had done something that no other Shinigami or human had managed to do, not only survive an encounter but also wound it.

He tried, in vain, to sense any hint of the Shinigami's spiritual pressure but found nothing, it was as if the boy wasn't there anymore. But this made no sense, if he had been assigned to the section, as the Arrancar knew Shinigami often were, than he would still be here unless something important had come up.

He was just about to give up and find some other humans to eat when he caught sight something out of the corner of his eye.

A man with red hair, and a sword at his waist, stood in the middle of the street. The strangest thing though was he wore what the former Hollow knew to be the uniform of Aizen and his minions.

"Who the hell are you? Did Aizen send you to bring me into his army or some shit? You can tell him what I told the others, I am not interested in his little war until I can have my vengeance!" The Arrancar shouted at the silent newcomer.

The teenager made no motion to answer but instead began walking towards the Arrancar, it was then that Grand Fisher recognized the boy, it was the same person had been looking for.

'I knew he looked familiar, but why the hell is he dressed like that? I bet Aizen sent him here as a bribe to recruit me. After all I am one of the most feared Hollows in all of Soul Society. Now that I am an Arrancar I am unstoppable!' the monster thought, grinning as he unsheathed his massive Zanpakuto.

"So it is you!" he snarled, "I have been looking for you, and this time you aren't going to get as lucky as you did before. You seem to have lost that oversized sword of yours though, a pity. Do you know that the size of someone's Zanpakuto is a direct indicator of their power? I have the largest Zanpakuto of all, which means that I am the strongest of all! Even if you work for Aizen you must realize that you have been sent here as a sacrifice to me!"

Again Ichigo just continued walking towards his enemy, no emotion showing on his face and without any hesitation, or haste, in his step.

Finally the former Shinigami came to a halt, around ten feet from his opponent, and simply stood there in front of the Arrancar, his sword still undrawn and without any combat stance.

The former Hollow laughed.

"Once I kill you my revenge will be complete, and who knows maybe you will be able to see that poor mother of yours in whatever hell she is in eh?"

With that statement Ichigo glanced in a random direction, his eyes narrowing for a second in annoyance, before turning back to the Arrancar.

"Can we take this fight somewhere else? It seems all of your babbling has caused you to bring attention to yourself, and quite frankly I want this to be between just you and me." He spoke in a slow, emotionless voice.

"That's a good one kid, see the thing is that this won't take very long so it doesn't matter who shows up, you don't even have any spiritual pressure left! That means you are just a dressed up meal for me." Grand Fisher tilted his head back in a roaring laughter as Ichigo just stared at him stoically.

"Regardless of what you might think, you really do not have a choice in the matter anymore." The man responded, before crossing the distance between the two in a buzz of Sonido. Ichigo then proceeded to grab the Grand Fisher by his face and disappeared in another flash of speed, leaving no trace of their existence, besides the residual energy left by the former Hollow.

 _***SoD***_

A moment later another Shinigami appeared in the area. As he walked into the street he gazed around, a bit confused at the lack of opponent, or any trace of him nearby.

"Hmm strange I know I felt an Arrancar in this area just a moment ago and now it is gone." The man pondered before shrugging his shoulders.

Before heading back towards his home he looked into the night sky, "Ichigo, I promise that I will save you as soon as I can, but until then just hold on." With that Isshin Kurosaki vanished back towards his home, to continue rebuilding his powers for the upcoming war.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile a dozen or more miles outside of the city Ichigo finally halted his progress. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the other Arrancar into the ground, thus causing a crater upon impact.

"How in the blood soaked human hell did you do that?!" Grand Fisher shouted, he had just been manhandled by some twerp with no spiritual power.

HIM,

THE _GRAND FISHER_

Nobody would treat him like luggage to be thrown around and sure as hell not some former pathetic excuse of a Shinigami.

"I will skin you alive you damn brat!" The Arrancar roared as he charged towards Ichigo, only for the boy to catch his sword mid swing.

With his index finger

And a bored expression on his face

'What the hell is going on!? That's not possible! No one can just catch a Zanpakuto like that!' The monster thought, but all that came out of his mouth was incoherent noises.

"I am going to have to disagree with you on that one, although the 'skinning you alive' idea is pretty tempting. I don't really know if I have the time or patience to deal with your screaming while that is happening though." Ichigo responded, smirking slightly at the Arrancar's attempt to hide his fear and confusion.

"I am going to smash you into the ground you little pest!" The Grand Fisher replied before pulling his sword above his head and delivering a massive two handed blow, which Ichigo didn't even try to block.

The sword impacted and caused an explosion of dust, covering the two combatants.

Panting, the Arrancar worked on calming himself down after such a vicious rage fueled attack, which obviously destroyed the boy completely, before his eyes widened in horror as he heard a voice call out from in front of him.

"Are you done yet?" The boy questioned.

As the dust settled he appeared, still standing and uncut, with the Arrancar's sword pressing down on his shoulder.

"B-B-But t-t-t-hat's i-i-imposs…" the monster stuttered out, his mind effectively shutting down.

"Yeah yeah impossible I know I've heard it before, trust me. But like I said I really do have places to go, people to see, etc. So if we could just get this show on the road, I would appreciate it." Ichigo calmly replied before shrugging off the former Hollow's sword and, taking a slow step forward, and delivering a punch to his opponent torso.

Ichigo, not realizing his own strength or his opponent's weakness, accidently put his entire arm through the creature's stomach.

Grand Fisher cried out in pain and surprise, while stumbling backwards to rest against a nearby tree.

"Uh oops? Sorry about that I actually didn't mean to do so much damage, I only meant to knock the wind out of you. Strange though even the Privaron would have only been mildly staggered after a hit like that." Ichigo mused apologetically.

"Y-you stupid bastard" The injured Arrancar spat out, as blood poured out of his mouth and down his body. "Do you really think you have won? I have not even tapped into the smallest portion of my true power."

"Well I would hope not, I can't imagine that someone so feared is this weak. How you ever managed to even hurt a Shinigami is more interesting than your powers themselves." Ichigo responded, angering his opponent.

"That's it, you're dead. Appear, el Deseo del Corazon*."

With a rather pathetic, in Ichigo's opinion, poof of smoke the Arrancar emerged in his Resurreccion state.

Ichigo had to stifle his laughter.

The Arrancar looked more like Halloween costume pimp than a monster in this form. He had a long purple coat, with fur around the neck line, purple baggy pants, an oversized hat with a feather, a long gold chair complete with a skull on the end, and finally a cane.

Ichigo failed at containing his laughter.

"AHAHAHHAHAHAH Oh my God you cannot be serious this is just… this is the best thing ever. HAHHAHAHAH" Ichigo roared with laughter, actually falling over and rolling around on the ground, causing his opponent to sweat drop and glare at the boy.

"STOP LAUGHING I can understand your fear but there are more appropriate ways to…"

"HAHAHHAA fear?! Are you freaking kidding me? You look more like some douche bag who decided he was hot shit and went to a discount store to find an outfit."

After a few more moments of laughter Ichigo managed to calm down. Standing back up, and wiping a tear from his eye as he did so, Ichigo faced down with his opponent, trying to keep a straight face, and failing to hide with wide grin that formed.

"Enough of your mockery, it won't be so hilarious when I rip the flesh from your bones!" The Arrancar snarled and, pointing his cane at the boy, called out "invocacion del amor*"

Another poof of smoke emerged in front of Ichigo, who raised his eyebrow in confusion. From the fog the figure of his mother stepped forth.

"Ichigo, darling, come with me we can be together again." She stated in a loving motherly tone.

"I don't know what I find more disturbing, the fact that you are dressed as a pimp and summoned an image of my mother. Or that you would use the exact same technique on me that you did last time."

"If you recall last time boy, you were the one near death. You were the one who required assistance after our last battle."

"True, but I have changed in ways you will never understand. This technique will no longer work on me you freak." Ichigo stated as he walked forward, and cut through the false image of his mother with one hand, dissipating her immediately.

"Wait a second. You lost your sword in your transformation right? So even if I did fall for that trick, and dropped my guard, what was your plan to defeat me?" Ichigo asked in a confused voice as the transformed Arrancar's eyes widened and he scratched his head nervously.

"Well you see uh, once your guard was dropped I would… you know… defeat you and such."

"You have no technique besides that one do you?" the boy deadpanned at the monster.

"Of course I have other techniques! CERO!" the Arrancar shouted out, remembering that he could now fire the beams of energy.

The energy blast formed at the end of the Arrancar's cane, and rocketed toward the boy, who reached out his hand… and caught the attack before crushing it without effort.

"W-Wha" was the only comeback that the 'Great Grand Fisher' could think of.

"Well if that's all you have I am ready to be done here. I have another mission I want to accomplish and I can't have you drawing any more attention to us than you already have." Ichigo stated before stretching out his hand toward the former Hollow.

Suddenly the Arrancar found black chains wrapped around his arms and legs, dragging him down into the ground, before more chains encircled his torso and head.

"What the…" came the surprised cry, as he noticed his opponent slowly walking towards him, with a terrifyingly serious look on his face.

"W-Wait a second kid, we can talk about this. Tell Lord Aizen I will gladly join him, I promise!" The monster pleaded as Ichigo reached his fallen form.

"I don't think you grasp the situation you are in right now, Aizen-Sama doesn't want your allegiance, or your presence in his army. You are simply an annoying liability that we don't want falling into the enemy's hands for experimentation. I was not a sacrifice to you. You were a gift to me." Ichigo spoke with a deadly tone.

"B-But I…" were the last words that the monster spoke before Ichigo gave a slight gesture, and the monster was torn apart by the chains which bound him.

Blood flowed, before dissolving into spiritual particles, and the horrified look on the creature's face was the last thing to fade into dust.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo had been given the entire night to find and execute the rogue Arrancar. He had accomplished it in less than an hour and decided that he would pursue his secondary, and considerably more dangerous, mission.

Once again the boy closed his eyes, and reached out, but found that none of the spiritual signatures he had located moved much from their original spots. He knew that his 'father' had come out to investigate the Arrancar, but he had moved far enough away to remove the possibility of an encounter.

Finding his target he, once again, disappeared from sight, and appeared near the middle of the city before walking through the doors of the large building.

As he strode down the halls he glanced at the various individuals moving about, unaware of his presence. Even if they had spiritual powers they would either fail to sense him, or see him as just an ordinary person with orange hair.

Finally he found his target talking with a member of the staff. He stood, watching from a distance, before moving to within the man's sight and gave him a slight nod of his head, before tapping on his sheathed Zanpakuto, immediately causing the man's eyes to glare in anger.

"Is something the matter Ishida-San?" The nurse inquired, seeing the change in the man's expression.

"No, continue on your rounds and ensure that the changes we discussed are made promptly." The older man ordered before walking toward Ichigo, not waiting for a response from the nurse.

Giving the boy a slight gesture to follow the Quincy walked through the hallway to his office, and shut the door behind the two.

"I don't know what the hell you want Ichigo Kurosaki or why you are dressed like an Arrancar but quite frankly I don't care. Now get the hell out." The man spoke before sitting down and going through paperwork.

"I know I am probably the last person you ever want to talk to, but I wanted to come and apologize. I am so sorry for failing your son. It was my fault that he was even there to begin with. If I had been stronger he wouldn't have needed to join us and would still be alive." Ichigo replied, his face downcast as he forced himself to try and maintain eye contact with the man.

"Do you feel better now? Is your conscious clear now that you have said your business? No matter what you say or do my son will remain dead, while it seems like you have joined the thing he had fought against."

"No, I will never be over failing your son and my friends. But for what it's worth I am not going to let those who killed your son get away with what they have done. The prejudice and sins of the Shinigami have gone unpunished for far too long. I am going to make sure things change, or I will die trying. That I promise you." Ichigo spoke with conviction before turning to leave.

"If there is anything I can ever do for you Ishida-Sama, just let me know. I am truly sorry for your loss." As he moved to leave Ryuken spoke up, halting the boy.

"Wait, if you are so intent on making amends for your failures than I do have a request or two." Ryuken answered, standing up and gesturing for the Arrancar to follow him.

As they walked through the hospital Ichigo realized they were proceeding down further and further, towards the basement.

When they reached their destination his eyes widened in shock. Apparently underground training rooms were all the craze nowadays and he wondered if there was one underneath his old house as well.

"I want to test your conviction Ichigo Kurosaki, to make sure you are able to accomplish the task I will entrust to you." The Quincy spoke, gaining a nod of approval from Ichigo.

"There is no better way to do this than a duel, if you can defeat me I will allow you to bring those responsible for Uryu's death to justice. If you fail, then I will have to be content with simply killing you instead." Ryuken said, in a monotone that would have made his son envious, before materializing a bow and firing directly at Ichigo's head.

 _***SoD***_

The former Shinigami quickly found himself on the defensive, dodging around the chamber to avoid the Quincy's deadly accuracy. At first he had tried to deflect the arrows, but when the man began firing hundreds of shots at the same time he quickly gave up on that tactic.

"Come on Ichigo, is this the best you can do? How will you ever manage to defeat a Shinigami Captain if all you are capable of is running away?" The elder man taunted.

'Strange though, I am still unable to sense any kind of spiritual pressure or energy from him. At first I thought it was some technique that he had been taught for stealth but now that he is using Sonido I should be able to get a bearing on his powers.'

Ichigo knew what he was trying to do, force him into offensive and into a trap. But this time he would not fall for it. If the man wanted a long ranged battle then Ichigo would give him one. Extending his right finger Ichigo instantly charged and fired a Cero at his opponent, cutting through the arrows that had been fired at him and forcing the Quincy to use Hirenkyaku to avoid the blast.

"Not bad, but trying to outfight a Quincy at range is practically committing suicide." The man boasted, before taking out a handful of small tubes.

"Heizen." The elder Ishida muttered out before launching a large rectangular block towards his opponent.

The teenager just managed to dodge the attack in time, while doing so he made a slashing motion with his sword and launched a wave of black fire towards the man.

"Getsuga Tensho"

Again the older man was forced to dodge out of the way to avoid the blast, this time snarling at the attack.

"I am surprised that you are still able to use your father's techniques now that you are an Arrancar." The man sneered. If he was shocked he did not show it.

"It was Zangetsu's technique, not my father's. That bastard never taught me anything about my heritage. Instead he just let me walk into the hell that awaited me." Ichigo growled back.

"I see, you really have no more compassion for the Shinigami do you?"

"Why the hell would I? They have done nothing but manipulate me and use me as a pawn in their games. They killed my friends and never had the decency to even pretend to be remorseful about it."

"Indeed, now you understand why Uryu and I hated them so much."

"Yes, unfortunately I have spent too much time here and I must be getting back, so I need to end this battle of ours, prepare yourself." Ichigo called out, forming a Cero in his palm.

Immediately his opponent did as he had suggested, taking a defensive stance, obviously preparing to counter attack once the blast was launched.

But there would be no counter attack this time.

"Cero Racimo*" Ichigo called out, before launching the sphere of condensed energy towards the surprised Quincy.

'What kind of technique is this? I have never heard of a Cero being fired as anything but a beam of energy.' Ryuken thought, as he looked for an unguarded spot to move to in.

Unfortunately for the man, just before he flashed out of the way the technique burst into hundreds of smaller projectiles, all small spheres of energy that quickly filled the entire area around him.

Then they exploded at once.

The resulting blast shook the very building the training room was hidden under, as if an earthquake had taken place.

 _***SoD***_

"That was a very impressive technique Ichigo Kurosaki." Ryuken complimented, after finding himself somehow on the ground a safe distance from the blast crater. "If that attack had hit me the fight would have been over, and I would be seriously injured."

"I know, I never wanted to seriously injure you though, just push you hard enough so that you would see what I am trying to do, and what I am capable of."

"Well I believe you have won the duel either way, although I am curious about how you managed to pull me out of the blast radius, I did not recognize the technique you used."

"Heh well it's something I have been perfecting over a few weeks. Like the other techniques I have used against you, I would appreciate it if you did not mention it to anyone, along with me being here at all. To be honest I don't think that my 'father' has any right to know of my current state, and Urahara along with Yoruichi sure as hell don't have that privilege." Ichigo answered.

"I understand. Very well I will allow you to obtain justice for my son's murder. You seem to not only have his best wishes at heart, along with the fact that you are no longer blinded by the 'glory' of the Shinigami."

"I appreciate that, if possible I would ask you to stay out of the upcoming conflict. I doubt you would have joined the Shinigami anyway, but I would rather see as few people hurt as possible." Ichigo asked, resuming eye contact with the man, to stress his request.

"I had no interest in it either way, good luck Ichigo."

"Until next time Ishida-Sama."

With the last goodbye Ichigo vanished, without the normal buzz of Sonido or characteristic use of Shunpo.

"Interesting, I wonder if the Shinigami realize that they have given Aizen an ally that will change the very course of history." The elder Quincy muttered, before making his way back to his office.

Sitting down at his desk, he reached over and took hold of one of the only two pictures located in his private quarters.

The picture was of himself, albeit a bit younger, and a young child, both sitting on a couch. The odd thing about this picture was that he had a genuine smile on his face, and his son was laughing joyfully.

"Uryu, I am so sorry."

***A/N***

Wow, I loved writing this chapter, which is such a relief from the last one. To be honest I had a few issues writing 'A not so Civil War', it just didn't turn out as I had hoped.

But this one did and then some.

I hope no one is disappointed with the rematch, because quite frankly Grand Fisher was never going to pose a threat to Ichigo. The thing was taken down effortlessly by Isshin and Ichigo is stronger than his father at this point so yeah…

I hope everyone enjoyed his Resurreccion though. The idea just sort of… popped into my head when I was thinking about his appearance as an Arrancar, and who doesn't like a bit of comedy thrown in with the serious stuff?

As for the Ryuken thing, I had originally just planned on Ichigo confronting Uryu's dad, but this just turned out so much more dramatic in my opinion.

I am super glad that everyone was excited for this chapter, AND WORRY NOT! More fun stuff is on the way, next chapter is going to be a bit slower, with character building and such but I have another major part planned coming up, one that will not disappoint.

As always I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did, because I really do write for you guys, not for me.

 **Translations-**

el Deseo del Corazon - The Heart's Desire.

invocacion del amor – Plea of Love

Racimo - Cluster


	17. For the Love of Arrancar

**Shadows of Deceit**

For the Love of Arrancar

Muchos Gracias for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows!

***Still no ownership… still sad about that. ***

 _***SoD***_

Nelliel had been having a strange couple of days.

First Aizen had sent off _her_ Ichigo and Harribel, along with a few others, to deal with a rebellion. This was a nice change since it had allowed her some quiet time, without worrying about Nnoitra hanging around every corner to challenge or demean her in some way. The problem was that she wasn't able to see two of her close, and in Ichigo's case very close, friends.

Then when the two had finally returned it had been in the middle of the night, she would later find out that the two had spent the night in Ichigo's room much as she had earlier.

Finally the boy that had captured her thoughts so often as of late had been sent off on another mission the next day.

"Relax Nelliel, I am sure that Ichigo is fine, after all he came back from a 'civil war' unharmed. I really doubt that Aizen would send his new soldier off on a dangerous mission without any backup so soon." Stark comforted, as he took one of Ulquiorra's pawns, causing the normally stoic Espada to glare in response.

"Indeed, though if it is still bothering you I am sure you could simply ask Aizen-Sama about the specifics of the mission to put your thoughts at ease." Ulquiorra chimed in, before moving one of his knights into a better position.

"I just don't see why he had to be sent off on another mission so soon, and why just him? Why couldn't I have been sent with him?" After speaking the green haired female quickly realized her mistake, but judging from the looks on the two men's faces she had been caught.

"Would our little Nelliel be having a bit of a relapse due to lack of her orange haired drug of choice?" Stark asked with a very Ichimaru-like grin.

"It would indeed appear that you have been quite taken with the boy, I would be cautious though, if the rumors are true then he and Harribel have grown quite… close since their shared assignment. I have even been hearing rumors that they spent the night together when they arrived home, any truth to that?" the pale man called out the last part of his statement, just as the dark skinned Espada walked into the room.

"You should know better than to take rumors seriously Ulquiorra." The woman began. "However in this case it is true. Ichigo and I have been bonding lately and we spent much of last night together."

"So I assume that you didn't get much sleep then? After all I would imagine that our companion has quite the impressive amount of… stamina, if his battles are anything to go by." Stark's grin, now being directed toward the Tres Espada, widened even further.

"On the contrary I slept very well Stark. Ichigo is quite the comfortable pillow if you must know, and his presence is very soothing." Harribel countered, ignoring the slight glare from her fellow female Espada.

"You do realize that the two of you are going to have to sort this issue out eventually correct? Unless you are just going to alternate who gets to spend time with him until the war and then hope that one of you gets decapitated." Ulquiorra pointed out, again moving his knight.

"Check"

Stark growled at the disadvantage he had just been put into, and began scanning over the board in front of him for his next move.

"Despite my sudden urge to beat them both to a bloody pulp, Ulquiorra has a good point." The blonde spoke up, directing her gaze toward the fifth Espada. "We need to come up with a solution to this situation, and I really do not want to make Ichigo decide, he has had enough problems with hard choices and losing friends in the past. No matter what, we need to agree that we will be civil about this so that no one is left feeling alone."

Nelliel nodded in agreement before pondering a few things.

"You could always try one of the patented techniques used in the living world." The Primera suggested absently, still staring at the board in thought.

"What would those be Stark?" Nelliel questioned, hoping to receive helpful advice for once from the man.

"Well option number one would be to have a threesome, and whoever has the better sex gets to keep Ichigo." Stark replied, seemingly not paying attention to the conversation as he moved his king out of the predicament his opponent had placed him in.

"W-W-WHAT?!" both girls practically screamed at the same time.

"What do you mean Stark? You never did explain to me what 'sex' is." Lillynette questioned, popping out from behind the couch and startling all of the Espada.

"Uh um well you see… I think you should ask Harribel and Nelliel. Yeah! That is something that a woman should explain since you know, similar body parts and all." Stark stuttered out.

"There is a second option though," Ulquiorra spoke as he made another move in the game. "You could just have a duel of some sort to see who gets to keep the boy, although you might not want to just make it a standard battle with the difference in your powers as they are."

"Shouldn't you ask Ichigo what he thinks about it?" the Fraccion questioned curiously. "I mean if you are so upset about hurting his feelings how do you think he would feel if his two friends got into a fight over him?"

"Lillynette that's… very wise of you." Nelliel spoke out, astonished that the young girl had made such an observation when it had eluded the rest of them.

"What can I say? I am wise beyond my years. Now someone explain to me what sex is!" The child-like Arrancar demanded.

"Well Nelliel and I have some things to discuss, but I am sure that Stark and Ulquiorra can explain to you the basics for now." Harribel answered, inwardly smirking at the sudden discomfort shown by the two men in the room.

As the two females went to leave Nelliel had a thought and turned back to face the two males. "Oh and we will be asking Lillynette about what you two tell her. If the answer is unsatisfactory to us we can always take her to Gin, I am sure he would love to help her out."

With that the two females left, leaving a visibly paled Stark and wide eyed Ulquiorra sitting silent, while the Fraccion stared at the two expectantly.

'Ichimaru explaining sex… oh good lord she would keep me up for weeks with her nightmares.' Stark thought as he looked towards Ulquiorra.

The Fourth Espada merely moved his bishop forward in response, "Checkmate" before disappearing in a burst of Sonido.

"Well!?" Lillynette directed her question to the only remaining person in the room.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo arrived back in Hueco Mundo he decided to delay reporting back to his commander for a short time, instead taking the scenic route back to Las Noches.

The boy had a lot on his mind lately, what with his trip, the upcoming conflict, Aizen's plans for everything, and his new relationships with the two female Espada being just some of what was on his mind. The last of these was currently the largest source of his confusion and stress.

Ichigo had never been very perceptive regarding females, hell he didn't realize Tatsuki was a girl for the first three months he knew her. But ever since his merging with the spirits that dwelt inside him he had gained a new respect for the female form and a heightened awareness of their emotions towards him.

It had become very obvious that Nel had feelings for him and, if the previous night was any indication, then Harribel was also beginning to feel some kind of attachment, stronger than just friendship, towards him as well. The biggest question in the boy's mind was, "How do I know which one I care for more?"

The Arrancar had never experienced this problem before. Growing up he had female friends but they were just friends to him, there was no romantic attachment to any of them. Even in school most females had the tendency to be more afraid of him than anything else. Now though there were two beautiful women that he was attracted to, and that seemed attracted to him. What would happen if both wanted to pursue a relationship?

Ichigo was unsure of how dating worked in Hueco Mundo, or even if Hollows did have such relationships, but one thing he was fairly sure of was that romantic jealousy and rivalry between two highly skilled and incredibly dangerous women would not likely end well for anyone involved.

He briefly considered asking for advice from someone else, but had no idea who he should go to. Aizen was too busy, and would likely use the knowledge against him. The other two Shinigami barely knew him. Stark would likely tease him to the point of death via embarrassment and Ulquiorra would probably suggest something so analytical that it would sound more like the advice in a chess game rather than for a relationship.

Either way the teenager knew that he couldn't just avoid the subject and hope for the best, doing so would likely just make the problem worse over time. Rather he would need to talk things through with the two other members of this strange love triangle, and pray to whatever God or Goddesses might exist that they remain friends, and relatively unharmed, afterwards.

Before long Ichigo had reached his destination, and decided to first check in on his friends. He first located the two females and found that they were together… and alone. His blood pressure immediately skyrocketed in worry and he quickly made his way to the room they were currently in.

Oddly enough it was his room.

Even stranger was the fact that they were having a very calm and civil conversation about him.

Finally neither seemed all that shocked when he burst in, maybe he was over thinking things after all?

"Ichigo please sit down, we would like to have a talk with you" Harribel began in a very serious tone.

The little of what Ichigo did know about relationships immediately came to the front of his mind. When someone said that they "needed to talk" it was never good.

"Uh sure what about?" the boy replied, walking further into his room a bit nervously, while keeping a tense gaze on both women.

"You see Ichigo, Harribel and I have been talking and we have decided that…" Suddenly a voice rang out over the intercom system.

"All Espada are to report to the meeting chamber immediately, this also includes you Ichigoooo." Gin announced, and Ichigo glared at the speaker, knowing that man had an obvious grin at waiting for just the perfect time to interrupt.

The three Arrancar in the room shared a glance, and then proceeded to leave and gather with the other Espada, all a bit annoyed at the well timed intrusion.

 _***SoD***_

"Ah welcome back Ichigo, I was hoping to hear your report from your mission, also I have some news to share with the Espada, but we will try and keep this short, I would hate to interrupt anything important." Aizen sent a knowing smile towards the three companions who had just entered the room.

"Of course Aizen-Sama, though I am sure you are already aware of the outcome of my mission I will debrief the others as well. The Arrancar known as 'Grand Fisher' has been terminated as ordered."

With this declaration the room erupted into shouting, much to the annoyance of several higher members of the Espada, along with Aizen himself.

"What the hell do you mean?! You have no right to kill a fellow Arrancar you Shinigami wannabe!" Nnoitra immediately shouted out, which caused quite the confusion among some of the others who knew Nnoitra to have killed his fair share of Arrancar since joining the Espada, and many without orders to do so.

"Yeah, also who in the blood soaked hell is 'Grand Fisher'?" Grimmjow asked in a rather confused tone, bringing up a question that immediately caused the uproar to cease as the other Espada wondered the same question.

"He was a newly formed Arrancar that had previously been a low ranking Hollow. However he had traveled to the Living World in order to exact his revenge against a certain substitute Shinigami that had injured him in his previous state." Aizen answered, shifting his gaze toward said former Shinigami in question.

For his part Ichigo only nodded.

"Wait didn't you say that the Hollow you had failed to kill was the one responsible for your mother's death Ichigo?" Stark questioned, earning a gasp from Nelliel and a wide eyed stare from Harribel.

"Yes he was the one who killed her" Ichigo answered with a tone of finality, leading many to assume he had no interest in continuing the conversation.

"Indeed, I had Ichigo return to the Living World and remove the potential danger to our plan. I could not allow the Shinigami to capture and gain any kind of information on Arrancar from such a simple fool. But while Ichigo was in the area he also accomplished a rather interesting side mission isn't that right?" The commander inquired with a smirk.

Ichigo barely reacted to the question but rather shrugged before answering, "Yes I located the Quincy Ryuken Ishida and spoke to him about his son's death as well as securing his neutrality in the upcoming conflict."

"Very good, Ryuken Ishida is a very dangerous opponent and the removal of his presence will greatly aid our side in the upcoming war. Which brings me to my next announcement. I have decided that Ichigo will be joining the ranks as a member of the Espada." Aizen announced, again listening to the uproar in the room.

"Ridiculous! He is not even an Arrancar, nor was he ever a Hollow. He has no right to join the prestigious ranks of the Espada, in fact I vote to remove any members who are no longer Arrancar, specifically the four who have been tainted by this child." Baraggan proclaimed, gaining himself a glare from the five in question.

"I am so very disappointed to hear you say that Baraggan. Regardless of your feelings though, Ichigo does possess all the necessary qualifications for becoming an Espada, and has my support as well as Gin and Tousen's as well. I am curious on the opinions of the rest of the Espada though. How say you all?" Aizen inquired.

"Nay" Baraggan grumbled out.

"Hell no" Nnoitra practically shouted.

"Heck Yeah!" Grimmjow shouted, even louder than Nnoitra, earning a surprised look from many in the room, "What? The kid seems like he would be fun to just go all out in a fight against."

"If lord Aizen wills it, so it is to be." Zommari spoke, in his usual boring tone.

"He seems to be a decent asset in the upcoming conflict." Szayel analyzed.

"Meh fuck that kid" Yammy grumbled as he crossed his arms in a pouting manner.

"I would ask how you four vote but I am already certain of the outcome." Aizen interrupted as the only four left to vote were Ichigo's close friends.

"Based on your power and skill level I would say that you should take the rank of Primera Ichigo, but since that would cause an unnecessary shift in every Espada's rank, and the fact that it is Gin's turn to paint the tattoos," all of the eyes shifted cautiously towards the silver haired man who was busy working on some very 'unique' ideas for number calligraphy. "I have decided to give you the rank of 'Cero' Espada. I also feel it is a bit ironic with your development of the technique in ways that we had not even deemed possible." Aizen declared.

"Oooo this will be fun" the grinning Shinigami smirked, as he made his way towards Ichigo with a calligraphy pen. "So Ichigo, where would you like your ink? WAIT! Don't tell me I already have the perfect place, shirt off please." Gin commanded.

Ichigo followed the order, causing the two women in the room to blush furiously as Ichigo revealed his very toned and muscular body.

Gin quickly made his way to the Arrancar's right side, and drew a black number zero on the exterior of his bicep, which he then proceeded to add 'fun effects' to. Such as shading and other such things to make the number seem three dimensional, as well as drawing smoke emanating from it in a wispy effect.

After around twenty minutes of waiting for the man to finish, Aizen cleared his throat, and gave Gin a stare that seemed to say 'are you done yet?' earning a large grin from the ex-Captain.

"There you are Ichigo, looking fashionable!" the Shinigami proclaimed as Ichigo inspected the tattoo.

"I like it, thank you Ichimaru-Sama, but I would like to know why I had to take off my shirt for you to do this." Ichigo replied in thanks.

"Because I think it is entertaining when the two female Espada ogle you." Gin replied, as if the answer had been obvious.

Sparing a glance Stark confirmed that the two were indeed doing just as the man said, and gave the two a very Gin-like smirk as well.

"My final announcement is that Ichigo will be leading a mission in one week, the details of which will be revealed in a few days once all of the information concerning the objectives has been verified." Aizen announced before allowing for any questions with a gesture.

"Szayel, you are the inventor for the Espada correct?" Ichigo spoke up after the former Captain had finished, earning a curious glance from all in attendance.

"Indeed I am do you have something you wish to ask me about Ichigo?" The pink haired Espada responded.

"Yeah, I was wondering why there doesn't seem to be any place for the Espada to train, without fear of causing collateral damage. After all both Urahara and Ryuken had training areas of sorts so it seems a bit strange that there isn't one here especially, with the rules regarding the release of Resurreccion in Las Noches." Ichigo replied in a questioning tone.

"A very good idea Ichigo, I believe that would be most beneficial especially for you and the other four whose powers are continuing to develop if there was a secure training facility that would prevent damage to the fortress. Szayel I would like you to begin work on this immediately." Aizen ordered before giving one last glance around the room to see if there were any more questions, finding none he dismissed the Espada and left with his two Shinigami officers.

Ichigo and the other Espada soon followed his example and left to their various activities.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo arrived back in his quarters he couldn't help but feel he was forgetting something important, a second later he recalled the uneasiness from before the meeting as the two female Espada arrived on the other side of his door.

As he opened it, and gestured for them to enter, he gave a quick glance down the hallway, and proceeded to shout out for Stark to quit eavesdropping before shutting the door again. A moment later the Primera wandered off, pouting as his 'fun' had been spoiled.

Walking back into his room the teen found the two women seated on the edge of his bed, and he quickly pulled up a nearby chair to sit across from them.

"So where were we?" Nelliel asked, more to herself than the other two, "Ah yes, Harribel and I have been discussing the 'situation' that seems to have emerged between the three of us."

"It is quite clear that both Nelliel and I have feelings toward you well beyond mere friendship, and different than those that we feel towards any of the other Espada, or even to our Fraccion. Before this conversation continues on though we need to know, what are your feelings towards us?" Harribel asked, taking over the conversation from the green haired female.

"At first it was definitely friendship, you four are closer to me than anyone else in Hueco Mundo, and at this point probably anywhere. Lately though I have started noticing you two in a different way. It's kind of embarrassing though, since you two would be the first women I have ever been attracted to." Ichigo answered, before turning his head to try and hide his slight blush, much to the two Espada's enjoyment.

"Well if that is the case than there is only one thing to do in this situation." Nelliel spoke up, and directed her gaze towards Harribel, who only nodded in a very serious way.

Ichigo quickly glanced between the two, trying to decipher their body language for fear they would get into a fight to try and resolve the conflict.

"We have agreed… to share you."

What?

WHAT?!

WHAT?!

The room was eerily quiet following the statement. Ichigo's brain was struggling to either stay active and process the information, or reboot itself.

Alas both of these options were being attempted at the same time and were failing miserably, which left the boy in a state where he just stared blankly at the wall between the two women, who were sharing a nervous glance at his silence.

"Ichigo are you okay?" Nelliel asked, leaning forward and putting her hand on the boy's leg, instantly bringing him out of his stupor at the physical contact.

"Huh what? Oh hey Nel and Harribel what are you two doing here? I just had the strangest dream, I was talking to you both and one of you said that you had agreed to 'share me' it was bizarre." Ichigo laughed, his eye developing a strange twitch.

"Well I think we broke him…" Harribel muttered to herself. While Nelliel merely giggled.

"Ichigo you weren't dreaming that is what we decided, this way you don't have to choose between us and everyone remains friends. Besides with the war coming up why not enjoy our time together while we can?" The green haired beauty spoke up.

"Also although I am aware that this is very uncommon in the World of the Living, for Hollows the idea of sharing a mate is not all that strange, it is more of an animalistic idea after all. The strongest and most desirable gets the members of the opposite sex, in this case both Nelliel and I are interested in you beyond just how powerful you are and so it is only natural that we would both find enjoyment in being with you." The blonde analyzed.

"So how is this going to work exactly?" Ichigo questioned, trying to push his mind past the initial shock and save himself from another freeze up.

"We are just going to share, I imagine that we will still spend time with you, Stark, and Ulquiorra as friends but now we will trade off having romantic sessions with you whenever it feels right." The dark skinned woman again answered in a very calculating tone.

"R-Romantic sessions? Uh what exactly do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked, suddenly developing a bit of a stutter.

"Well Hollows are a very physical race Ichigo, and as such most of their, and by consequence Arrancar's relationships are simple and very… pleasurable. We don't really do the normal human dating things that you do, and that Gin has told us about. Partially because we do not have things such as shopping malls, movie theatres, or restaurants here. Hueco Mundo is also a very dangerous place so the odds of finding romantic spots are fairly rare." This time it was the Fifth Espada who answered.

"Oh… and you two aren't a bit reluctant with my age and all?" Ichigo asked.

The two Espada knew what he was implying, his lack of 'experience' was a common weak spot in male Arrancar just as it was humans, not that it mattered to either female though.

"Of course not Ichigo, Hollows don't care about things such as age, and we certainly do not have any preconceived notions about your 'experience'. We are well aware of how old you are so do not worry about that, we plan on taking this as slow as need be. You are first and foremost our friend." Nelliel again replied, and received a nod from her fellow female Espada.

Ichigo just gave them a warm smile before nodding as well, and the three settled into a conversation about the various happenings while he had been gone.

 _***SoD***_

"So Captain Aizen, what is this mission that you have planned for our newly emerging stud?" Gin asked with a large grin, "After all he just got home, how can you expect him to make any progress with his two partners if you are sending him off all the time?"

"Do not worry about that Gin, I gave the boy a week after all, and if the actions of the two women is any indication then that might be all the time he needs with them anyways. Besides the last two missions were simply tests of his abilities, I wanted to see how he would fair in an actual combat scenario, whether he could kill or not, how he would do following orders, and his ability to be on a solo mission. He passed all my tests with flying colors. Now I want to see how his leadership skills match up with the other Espada and, more importantly, this mission will have a direct effect on the upcoming war. If it is successful we will have a major advantage over the Shinigami as well as opening up the boy's eyes to the flaws of Soul Society." Aizen answered, gaining his own signature smirk.

"My my Captain Aizen, you sure do think of everything don't you?" The silver haired Shinigami praised.

"Of course Gin, after all the most powerful weapon in war will always be knowledge, and we are at war."

***A/N***

A huge thanks to those who have reviewed with suggestions, I am trying to take these into account, even if I do not seem to all the time.

RG-Guest wins a cookie for the longest review I have ever received to date :)

I have received a few questions regarding the length of the story; my honest answer is that I am not really sure. My rough estimate is between 30 and 40 chapters total, which means we are close to half way done. Again this is assuming my plans continue as they are now, it could be shorter, or much, much longer. I am planning on including the Quincy war, although I am not planning on making it an extremely long ordeal as I am not enjoying it very much in the manga right now. Again this is just the plan and this might change dramatically as the story continues.

I hope you all accept my explanation as to the Arrancar relationships, honestly I have no idea how dating works in either Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, do Hollows even feel attraction? I know that Soul Society has marriages but we never see any kind of relationships of that type so this was just my best guess. I figure Hollows seem to follow their basic instincts more so why would it be different than how animals form relationships?

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, a bit of bonding and fluff before we get into the next mission, which will be more than one chapter, I promise.

 **Translations** \- *All are Spanish unless noted*

Cero Granada – Zero Grenade

Cero Racimo – Zero Cluster

Cadenas de Sombra – Shadow Chains


	18. Soul Society's Blindspot

**Shadows of Deceit**

Soul Society's Blind Spot

Thanks again for the reviews, favorites, and follows!

***I had a dream where I owned Bleach, then I woke up. ***

 _***SoD***_

With Ichigo's return a number of changes had taken place throughout Las Noches, the most notable of which being the completion of the training facility by Szayel.

After the pink haired man had finished giving the 'grand tour' Aizen had immediately declared that for the sake of secrecy all training and sparring was to be conducted only in the new area, thus ensuring that it would see its fair share of usage.

One of the other, and in the opinions of the various Espada strangest, changes had been Ichigo's attempts to have a normal dating relationship with his two newfound girlfriends.

Although Ichigo had never been in a relationship while he was a human, and had no idea how to do so with two older women, much less two that weren't actually human, he did his best to try and simulate what he had observed in the Living World.

For their part the two Arrancar women found his efforts to be very amusing and endearing.

Stark thought it was hilarious.

One day, for instance, Ichigo had planned a picnic for the two Arrancar. He had everything ready, including finding a container and placed food inside, scouting out a decent location that was far enough away from Las Noches to be peaceful, and he even choosing a different outfit to wear to take everyone's minds off of the future war.

Unfortunately for all of the teen's planning he had not counted on running into a rogue group of Hollows that had been part of Luppi's rebellion army.

Naturally they attacked just as the three Espada were in the middle of eating.

Of course the two women took offense to this decision and demonstrated their 'displeasure'.

As Ichigo stood by, a look of horror on his face, he watched as the two women cut through the enemy ranks with fury on their faces and a sort of fanaticism in their attacks.

After the enemy had been sliced into tiny pieces they tried to resume eating but after the interruption, and bloodbath, all three had lost their appetite and desire to continue the date. Instead they returned to the fortress and decided to relax in Ichigo's room for the remainder of the day.

Another planned date, a romantic candle lit dinner that Ichigo had prepared, had been interrupted as Nnoitra, Grimmjow, and Yammy crashed through the wall of the room, and landed directly on the table thereby breaking it into splinters.

It was at this point that both Harribel and Nelliel started looking for their Zanpakutos, presumably to skin the three Espada. Ichigo, for his part, just stood up slowly and sent a glare that Grimmjow swore would have made Aizen piss his pants.

The three male Espada immediately vanished from the room in a flurry of Sonido that would have made Zommari proud.

Strangely enough the three men were not present at training the next day, nor did any of the other Arrancar have any idea where any of them were until Aizen called a meeting three days later. The three Espada had slowly walked in, looking as if they hadn't slept, ate, or bathed in three days.

For the week prior to his new mission Ichigo found another annoyance that seemed to be directed toward his dating life. It took the form of Stark, who had managed to convince Ulquiorra to join him in a teasing crusade against the poor boy.

Upon returning after each of his failed dates Ichigo would be met only with a smirking Primera, and a few casual jokes, asking how the date had gone and when they would be hearing wedding bells. Ulquiorra merely insisted that he would be a better "best man" due to superior appearance in a suite than the other Espada.

At one-point Stark had even snuck a stuffed Hollow toy into Ichigo's room. Strangely enough even Aizen himself could not figure out where the man had obtained such a thing. At first the young man had thought it was a gift from one of the two females, until both had inquired as to what he was doing with a stuffed animal, and he had promptly heard Stark snickering from outside of the room.

The day before Aizen's announcement Nelliel and Harribel had asked Ichigo to speak with them in private.

"Ichigo, Nelliel and I have a bit of an odd question to ask you, do you find us attractive?" the dark skinned Espada had asked, causing a confused look to appear on the boy's face.

"What are you talking about? Of course I do, why would you ask that?" Ichigo replied.

"It's just that, we have been in this relationship for about a week now, and you have done all of these sweet romantic things for us and we have been wanting to repay you. But you haven't shown any interest in any type of physical relationship." Nelliel replied, blushing after finishing her statement.

"It's not that I am not interested in… that stuff it's just that I want to wait for the right time, I don't want to rush anything." The boy replied, gaining a small blush of his own.

Both women smiled before Harribel gave her response "that sounds nice Ichigo, we just want you to know that whenever you are ready, we are as well. Maybe we can even share the experience." The blonde Espada gave a wink, causing the boy to promptly turn bright red from the idea.

 _***SoD***_

The following day all of the Espada and Fraccion, along with the Privaron Espada were summoned into the main hall where Aizen and his two lieutenants were already seated at the long table.

"Ah welcome my dear Espada, please sit down, we have much to discuss." The Shinigami gestured towards the empty seats which the Arrancar quickly filled, with the Fraccion choosing to stand behind their Espada.

"As many of you are aware Ichigo is going to be assigned as the leader of the upcoming mission. After I brief you all on the objectives I will allow him to choose who to take along. The operation is simple, Ichigo will lead an infiltration unit into the Seireitei where they will break into the S.R.D.I. There they will steal a very important piece of information that will dramatically increase our odds of victory in the upcoming war. The reason I have chosen Ichigo is to test his ability in a leadership role, his natural stealth ability, and his previous knowledge and experience in Soul Society. Now then Ichigo, I will permit you to take along any two members of my forces, assuming that they agree to go with you." Aizen finished before allowing the hybrid time to think over his decision.

'He wants me to go back into Soul Society? Whatever he wants from this place better be worth the risk we are taking.' Ichigo pondered while glancing around the room, and coming to a conclusion.

"My first choice would be Gin Ichimaru." Ichigo proclaimed, receiving a curious glance from everyone in the room.

'Strange I would have thought he would choose two of his companions for the mission.' Aizen pondered as he turned to the Silver haired Shinigami.

Gin appeared just as confused, for once lacking his trademark grin, "Uh well I accept Captain Aizen, I am curious as to why you chose me though."

"I am curious as well Ichigo, would you mind explaining your reasons?" Aizen questioned, agreeing with his lieutenant.

"I need someone who knows their way around Soul Society better than I do, which means it comes down to one of the three Shinigami in the room. Since you are not an option and Tousen would most likely be more useful here continuing to prepare for the war Gin was the obvious choice." Ichigo answered Aizen before sending an apologetic glance towards his four friends, who began to understand.

'He isn't going to choose any of us' they all thought in unison.

"My second choice is Szayel. Before anyone asks the reason is simple, we are breaking into the center for research and technology for all of Soul Society. The Espada responsible for our own research department will get far more from having unrestricted access than anyone else here, also he will be able to find what we are looking for far faster than I ever would be able to." The Cero Espada spoke.

Again there was a shocked silence that gripped the room, before the Noveno Espada came to his senses. "I would be more than willing to go Lord Aizen, I do need to prepare one device beforehand that will ease our infiltration though, especially with my own part in this assignment."

"Very well, you will depart for Soul Society in the morning, I will give you three the rest of the information on what you will be retrieving shortly. Now unless there are any other questions all Arrancar are dismissed." Aizen spoke with authority, causing all but the three chosen to make their way out of the room. Many of the participants were still talking about the shocking selection of the team, whom everyone had expected to be from the newest Espada's group of friends.

"Aizen-Sama, could we postpone the rest of our briefing for a bit? I feel the need to talk with some of my companions and explain myself to them." Ichigo asked, and upon receiving a confirming nod from the leader went off to find his four Espada friends.

"Getting soft on me Captain Aizen? I never knew you to be one for skipping out on a briefing just so someone could apologize." Gin questioned with a curious grin.

"Not at all Gin, but Ichigo's newfound friendships are one of the most important things connecting him to our goal at the moment, they need to be preserved as much as possible." Was the reply before the man took another sip of his tea.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo found the four in their private common room.

Stark and Ulquiorra had attempted to start a game of chess but neither had made a move yet, and were simply staring at the board. Nelliel found herself laying on a couching staring up at the ceiling, while Harribel was sitting on a chair in a contemplative pose.

The young boy knocked softly on the open door frame, as if asking permission to enter, and slowly walked inside after receiving a nod from Stark.

"I'm sorry." The former Shinigami muttered out, just loud enough for the four Espada to hear.

"I know you four are angry at me, and you have every right to be. When Aizen told me to choose a team I immediately thought about you four, but I knew for this particular mission I needed to choose differently. Also… I just couldn't take any of you into Soul Society." Ichigo muttered out, lowering his head and staring at the floor.

"Why?" Nelliel asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The question was so simple and yet so very important.

"The last time I went into Soul Society I took along my four best friends in the world, and none of them came back out. I know it wasn't my fault but, the memory and feelings are still there. If anything happened to one of you in the same situation… I don't know what I would do." Ichigo replied, tears beginning to form in his eyes at the thought of losing anyone in the room.

"How do you think we feel Ichigo? We all trust you but to know that you are going back into that horrid place that caused you so much pain. We want to protect you from that, to ensure you never have to feel that again." This time it was Harribel who answered, her voice cracking a bit under the emotions of the room.

"I know, there is no one I trust more in this world or any other than you four. I would die for any of you in an instant, for that reason I can't risk taking any of you with me. If something happens and either Gin or Szayel are killed, I would be hurt certainly, but if it was any of you, I think it would finally break me completely." The Cero Espada mumbled out, trying to make eye contact but failing to do so.

"Ichigo, I want you to promise us something since we cannot be there to watch your back." Stark began, his tone considerably louder and more forceful than all the others had been.

"Name it." The Arrancar replied, finally being able to look one of his friends in the eyes without the overwhelming feeling of guilt.

"I want you to promise that if things start to go badly, if it looks like the mission will fail, I want you to have a plan to escape safely, with or without the other two. I know that you don't want to even think about leaving anyone behind but, you are important to us. You are my brother Ichigo, and I know that the others feel the same way, or even feel closer than that. Despite the contributions of the other two I know Aizen will agree that you are by far the most important one to go on this mission." Stark answered with finality, knowing that it would hurt the boy to make such a promise.

"Stark… I will not leave anyone behind in that place, but I promise that I have an extraction plan should something go wrong. I know that no matter how important this mission is, it is not worth any of our lives." Ichigo replied with determination.

"Thank you, well I would say we should plan a party to celebrate your new leadership role but I figure that the two lovely ladies have something special planned for before and after your mission, maybe a little alone time, and some skimpy outfits?" Stark's playful tone returned as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the poor boy who immediately turned red with embarrassment.

"Actually Stark that reminds me, we never did check up with Lillynette about the talk you two had…" Harribel interrupted as she sent the Primera a smirk of her own, causing the man to pale.

Ulquiorra just chuckled to himself while Nelliel giggled, not only at the teasing but at the thought of having a 'special celebration' with her boyfriend.

 _***SoD***_

An hour or so later Ichigo reconvened with Aizen, Gin, and Szayel. The Pink haired Espada was currently tinkering with a bracelet looking device while Aizen motioned for the three to sit down.

"Now then, I would like to discuss with you the plan for your infiltration, and the information that you will be obtaining for me. First and foremost as you are all aware the Seireitei is guarded by a protective wall that blocks all entry from spiritual entities. When Ichigo and his friends first entered they had the help of the Shiba clan. While the clan would most likely aid Ichigo again if he asked, especially now that you are aware of your father's relationship with them, I would rather keep this mission as discreet as possible. For this reason, I have planned an alternate route into the Soul Society." The rebel leader began.

"First you will be sent through a Senkaimon that Gin will open and arrive in the Rukongai much like you did before Ichigo. There you will make your way to the Seireitei and use a modified version of the device your original group first used to penetrate into the fortress. Once there you should be able to reacg the research department and locate what you have come for. Finally the extraction method will be one I had originally prepared for Gin, Tousen, and myself should our plans be discovered. Now before I unveil your objective are there any questions?" The ex-Captain asked.

"Yes I have one." Ichigo replied, "You said that we will be arriving in the Rukongai, won't Soul Society be more prepared due to the last infiltration using this method?"

"Normally yes, but you are being sent into what I like to refer to as 'Soul Society's blind spot.' Most likely you were already informed that the Rukongai is divided into four quadrants, and these are further divided into eighty districts. The higher the number the worse off the district is. You will be arriving in district eighty. Due to the nature of these areas there is no Shinigami presence and they do not bother to monitor or to police such areas, making it perfect for moving unseen." The brown haired man explained.

"Regarding our infiltration Lord Aizen, wouldn't it be easier to use a Garganta instead of a Senkaimon?" Szayel inquired.

"For stealth purposes yes, but we do not want the Shinigami gaining any more information on our abilities than they already have, as of right now the Soul Society is unaware that a Garganta can be opened into the spirit world and I wish to keep this fact hidden for as long as possible." Aizen explained.

"Well if that is all then please take a look at and memorize your objective, as well as a standard map of the Seireitei." The commander instructed, before sliding three packets of information to the assembled team.

Looking through the information all three operatives appeared startled at their objective. Gin quickly replaced his shock with a smirk though, while Szayel grinned like a madman. Ichigo simply looked back at the man who had handed him the information with a puzzled expression.

"This can't be right, why would they keep such a thing?" the new Espada inquired.

"For various reasons, though I am sure that most of the Captains are unaware such information actually exists, either way once this is obtained and studied it will provide us with an incredible advantage over the Court Guard. Of course whatever other information that Szayel can obtain will also be useful in our future battles, but do not risk yourselves or the overall mission on sightseeing. Now then Szayel, what have you been working on in regards to the mission?"

"Simply this Lord Aizen," the pink haired man brought up the small bracelet device he had been tinkering with. "It and its duplicate are two parts of a powerful Garganta system that allows the transportation of a single individual through the Shakonmaku to the location of the other bracelet. Essentially this will allow me to arrive at Ichigo and Gin's location without the need to try and conceal my spiritual presence, as the other two are already skilled at."

"Very interesting Szayel. Well if that is all you three should continue preparing for your departure tomorrow. I will ensure that the device used to break through the barrier is ready, in the meantime each of you should plot a handful of paths through the Soul Society, should one become unavailable. You will depart from Hueco Mundo at the front gate of Las Noches at dawn tomorrow, until then dismissed." Aizen replied before leaving the chamber to attend to his various projects.

Szayel also wandered away, presumably back toward his lab to continue his work. This left only Gin and Ichigo, the latter of whom stood up to leave but was stopped when his name was called out.

"Ichigo, could I have a moment before you leave please?"

Ichigo looked over toward the silver haired Shinigami who had spoken to him before answering with a nod.

"I understand why you chose Szayel for this mission, but I am still curious as to why you chose me, between the two of us Tousen is far more skilled in sensing and suppressing spiritual energy, meaning that he is more equipped for an infiltration mission. Along with that his serious nature makes him the overall better choice and you know it." The normally grinning Shinigami pointed out, for once appearing very serious and contemplative.

"Well I prefer your company to Tousen's to be honest, also I figured that you have more of a reason to return to the Soul Society than Tousen does. Isn't there a certain blonde lieutenant that you would like to check up on currently living in the Seireitei?" Ichigo asked, suddenly adopting the signature grin of the one who he was talking to.

For once in his life Gin was not only speechless, but also blushing.

'He brought me along to see Rangiku? This boy is… something special'

"Ichigo… thank you." Was the only reply before the ex-Captain vanished in a burst of Shunpo.

The Arrancar simply chuckled before heading out to find his four companions.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo spent the rest of the day with his four friends, who immediately tied him down and forced him to memorize the map of the Seireitei, much to his annoyance.

"It's for your own good Ichigo," Ulquiorra had insisted, "Since none of us are allowed to come and watch your back you are going to have to make sure you are as prepared as possible for whatever happens, and that means memorizing every building, landmark, and hiding place mentioned."

Two hours later Ichigo could successfully draw the map and label every major area and building without any assistance. To congratulate him the four Espada took the boy to get dinner, and badgered him the entire time about what he was ordered to obtain for Aizen.

"I told you guys Aizen-Sama doesn't want our objective known outside the group, something about 'enjoying the surprise and suspense' or some crap, so if you want any more information than that you will have to pester one of the other three who know what we are looking for." The Cero Espada replied with finality, causing Stark to cry overdramatically and complain about how Ichigo had "forsaken them".

After a nice dinner, and only one interruption due to a fight between Yammy and Nnoitra, Ichigo retired to his room to get a full night's sleep before the long day he had ahead of him.

After saying his goodnights, he closed his door, stripped down to some night wear, and crawled into his bed. Just as the teen had begun to doze off he heard a light tapping at the entry way to his room. Curious about who it was, and not feeling the need to check with his senses, he went to the entrance and opened the door, only to begin feeling a bit flustered at what stood before him.

Both Harribel and Nelliel were in the doorway, in less than appropriate clothing, both blushing as they saw his lack of attire.

"Oh um hey Harribel, Nel what are you two doing up and um dressed you know, differently?" the teenager stuttered out, trying to make sense of the situation without passing out from a nose bleed.

"Well Ichigo, since you are going to be gone again for a while we thought that it would be nice to spend the night together, just sleeping of course." The green haired Espada replied, trying to avert her gaze from the boy's toned physique, and failing miserably.

"Of course if you are interested we could always start the physical side of the relationship tonight, I know I wouldn't mind." The dark skinned female practically purred out as she let her eyes wander over his body in a very obvious and drawn out manner.

That would be the last thing that Ichigo would hear before falling to a heap on the floor, passed out from the thoughts that ran through his head.

"Harribel! I told you not to overdo it, he is still a teenager remember?" Nelliel scolded as her partner just snickered before picking up and carrying the boy back to his bed.

"Oh come on, a teenage boy who was just offered a threesome from two beautiful women? I expected his reaction to be a bit more… forceful, as in forcing us to lay on the bed and stripping us down."

"If he did that then he wouldn't be Ichigo. After all isn't one of the reasons you are attracted to him is that he is different from the other men in that regard?"

"True, but it still wouldn't hurt for him to be a little assertive when it came to the 'fun' parts? Don't deny that you have had plenty of fantasies about it too."

Nelliel could only blush, as she got under the covers of the bed, and snuggled up to Ichigo's right side, while Harribel took his left.

"It also wouldn't hurt to ask Aizen to acquire a larger bed for him… of course then we wouldn't need to get so close."

The two women quickly fell into a comfortable slumber, as Ichigo subconsciously wrapped his arms around both of them.

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Ichigo awoke from his very peaceful rest, and some very odd dreams, to find his arms weighed down and two very warm bodies pressed up against his sides. Glancing to his left and right he found his two girlfriends nestled up against him, with surprisingly peaceful expressions on their faces.

'This is what I am fighting for' Ichigo immediately realized, 'it isn't for a way of life, politics, land, power, or anything like that. I am fighting for the right to live in peace, for those I care about not to have to worry about waking up to a warzone or for their slumber to be haunted by terrible dreams.'

His slight shifting, however, had woken both women, who apparently were very light sleepers.

"Good morning Ichigo, how did you sleep?" Nelliel inquired, a tired look in her eyes as she yawned in a childlike manner causing Ichigo to smile warmly.

"Yes Ichigo, I hope you slept well, of course you have a big day today so if you need help waking up I am sure that Nelliel and I can think of some ways to get the blood flowing." The blonde gave her boyfriend a very seductive smirk as the boy's eyes grew wide, and he suddenly bolted upright and started to get dressed, trying unsuccessfully to hide his morning arousal. To the great satisfaction of both women he was unable to do so.

"Uh no that won't be necessary, wouldn't want to get worn out before I get going, I mean work up a sweat, I mean uh…." Ichigo had quickly put on his clothes, not realizing his shirt was inside out and his pants were on backwards due to his situation.

"Got to go, see you at the departure bye!" and with that Ichigo vanished.

"One of these days he is going to explain how the hell he does that." Harribel said with a frown. Causing Nelliel to giggle lightly.

 _***SoD***_

"So Ichigo I trust you are ready to get underway?" Aizen inquired as the Espada were all assembled to see the two agents off, Szayel having perfected his device would be joining once they were sure he could be inserted undetected.

"Yes Aizen-Sama, thank you for the device you have provided for infiltrating the Seireitei. Szayel, once we are in a safe location I will activate our end of the beacon to give you a heads up of our readiness, after that you can warp in at any time." Ichigo spoke in a commanding voice, unknowingly sending shivers down his two girlfriend's spines.

"I shall be prepared Ichigo." The pink haired Espada responded, already excited at the prospect of having access to the Soul Society's technology.

"Very well, the Senkaimon has been prepared, good luck Ichigo, and try to ensure that Gin behaves himself will you?" Aizen sent a smirking glance toward his lieutenant who responded by sulking at the idea of his 'fun' being kept in check.

"I will and don't worry everything will go as planned." Ichigo replied, more for his friends than their leader, before entering the gate with the ex-Captain.

 _***SoD***_

Upon their arrival at the other end of the Dangai, which due to Aizen's calculations went much easier than his first voyage, Ichigo and Gin stepped out onto the ground of District Eighty.

Ichigo's eyes widened in horror at his surroundings, there were no words to describe them except for the statement that immediately came to mind.

'This is Hell.'

***A/N***

And… BAM cliffhanger! Wow this chapter actually did not turn out like I had originally planned it, it was going to be only a page or two in Hueco Mundo, and the rest of the time in Soul Society. But I just had so much fun writing the interactions and such that it turned out as such.

I know a lot of you are probably a bit irritated at the lack of action in the past chapter or two, and I am sorry to say that there won't be very much in the next few chapters either, this is due not only to the way I have this planned out but also for the future. There will be a "Fake Karakura Town" section, much like in the anime/manga, and when this happens it is going to be like ten chapters of just straight action and combat, so essentially I am taking all the normal action and cramming it into that part.

These next two chapters are going to be very important though for Ichigo's development. As many of you have pointed out Ichigo is currently under the "well they killed my friends, but to be fair we did kind of invade them" mentality, and this is going to change. To use a quote from the movie 'The Avengers' "He needs the push", and the push is coming.

Regarding the Arrancar names, I honestly didn't plan or even notice the Lillynette spelling change, I thought that I had always spelled it using two L's and two T's. As for Stark, I could've swore the wiki spelled it using only one R but apparently I am going insane, since I have been using only a single R I will probably keep it that way just so I don't keep changing it while writing, I may go back later and update it when I add in the scene breaks to previous chapters though.

Also assuming that I remember, I will be keeping a list of updated translations in each chapter, these are only going to be my techniques, everything else Bleach related can be found on the wiki.

As always I hope you all enjoyed reading this, I had a heck of a lot of fun writing it, and the next two chapters are going to be as full of the 'feels' as this one is, maybe even more!

 **Translations-** *All are Spanish unless noted*

Cero Granada – Zero Grenade

Cero Racimo – Zero Cluster

Cadenas de Sombra – Shadow Chains


	19. A Walk to Forget

**Shadows of Deceit**

A Walk to Forget

Seriously you guys rock for all the views, reviews, follows, favorites, etc.

***I still have no ownership of bleach, GRRRRRR! ***

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo gazed out into the horror that is District 80, and what he saw caused him to empty his stomach onto the ground.

Hell itself couldn't be this bad, nothing could.

Bodies in various states covered the ground. Some were mutilated, others appearing to have been partly eaten by God knows what, although it did not appear to be from a Hollow.

The worst part was that the bodies were not soldiers, they were not monsters or Shinigami or anything of that sort. No they were people, normal everyday looking people in tattered robes covered in dirt and blood.

Men, women, children, and elderly it made no difference in this forlorn environment. Truly this was equality at its greatest example. There was no class system here, no government, no prejudices, just the dead and the soon to be.

The stench that permeated through the air was unbearable. It was something that the Espada would never be able to describe, and hoped that he would never have to.

The sky was a mix of the darkest night with a slight crimson, as if the blood from all those slain was too much for the ground to bear, and thus the air and the heavens above had to take on the burden as well.

There were no structures in sight, no plants, and no animals. Just the bodies of the fallen, and the occasional walking corpse-like figures in the distance. If the boy dared to look close enough he would find even the walking to be mutilated, with an empty look in their eyes as if they longed to join those that they walked on and scavenged from, but lacked the strength to fall and die alongside. So they continued on, a state of constant slow pacing and staring, never blinking.

The silence was deafening in the worst ways possible. There was no laughter or excited whispers, no hushed talk between friends or lovers, no shouts of anger or frustration. There was simply the silence. Even the moving figures seemed to create no sound, as if they were mere ghosts in the living world.

Worst of all though, was what Ichigo felt with his sixth sense, emptiness. There wasn't hope, defeat, resentment, or sadness. There was not a single flicker of happiness, rage, or any other emotion to be had.

Slowly, Ichigo turned to his companion, who had much the same look on his face. But Gin had something else in his eyes, a look that Ichigo couldn't quite place until it hit him. Gin had seen this before, the Seireitei and the Shinigami knew what was going on in this place and yet did nothing about it.

Glancing over toward him the former Captain gave a slow silent nod, as if speaking itself would interrupt the horrors that went on in this place and make it even worse, and gestured for the boy to follow him.

So the duo walked.

It felt as if lifetimes passed, that everything before this was just a dream. Ichigo had never been a human boy, never had a family. He had never become a Shinigami and had never failed. He had never met the Arrancar. All of that had been an illusion, a dream, a passing memory or fantasy that had once appeared and then vanished just as quickly as a whisper in the wind.

 _***SoD***_

Suddenly the two came to an unseen boundary, a place where the emptiness was replaced by rage and destruction. It was a place where death and chaos had meanings and causes, and were not just facts of life.

Here Ichigo saw red.

He witnessed blood that flowed like rivers. He had forgotten what the color looked like because everything before had been drenched in this color, there was no other color to compare it to. In this place the sound of conflict and violence filled the air in a beautiful melody, and there was no longer a feeling of eternal silence.

"Gin, what was that place?" Ichigo whispered, as if anything louder would cause them to be dragged back into the nightmare they had managed to escape from.

"That was one of the four district 80's the farthest parts of Soul Society from the Seireitei. They are so far away that the Shinigami do not even acknowledge them, yet we all know that they exist. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki is from one of these districts, the fact that he is even able to function is a miracle." Gin replied, earning a nod of agreement from his companion.

"Why does the Gotei 13 allow this to happen? Why don't they do something about it?" Ichigo again questioned, as the pair avoided a particularly brutal battle that was raging several hundred feet to their left.

"For the same reason that they do not police most of the districts above 50 or so, they claim that they simply do not have the manpower to do that, maintain a standing military, and protect the World of the Living. It is sad really, I truly believe that many of the inhabitants would be better off simply being killed and reincarnated rather than left to suffer." The Silver haired Shinigami replied sadly.

"These places, it feels as if being here changes your view, as if the battles and destruction around us are just everyday occurrences, how can I just ignore them?" Ichigo asked, as he kept walking.

"We have a job to do Ichigo. I know that the compassion in your heart wishes to stop such things but we do not have the time or ability to do so right now. Perhaps once the war is over we will be given the opportunity to make changes but as it is now we cannot."

The boy could only nod sadly and continued walking with the Ex-Captain.

 _***SoD***_

Sometime later the two passed yet another boundary, this time the area had structures, albeit they looked like they would fall apart during a slight gust of wind.

The people looked miserable, but the streets did not run red with blood and violence was thinned down to fights and minor theft.

Gin and Ichigo had been given generic brown looking robes to wear over their all white outfits for infiltration purposes and so looked like two travelers. Upon entering this district Gin and motioned for Ichigo to pull his hood up to hide his face, no reason to chance being recognized.

"This place almost looks like a normal village. I mean it still looks worse for wear, like one of the poorer areas from the human world but still fairly normal." Ichigo muttered to his partner who merely nodded in agreement.

"Yes, this is where the violence begins tapering off, it is still quite poor and the living conditions are still quite bad, but it is a considerable improvement over the last two areas. There are still no real Shinigami patrols though, so local militia's and gangs control the streets." Gin confirmed before adding a slight change in plan.

"I believe we should continue at this pace until nightfall, then we can use Shunpo to gain some distance. Once we get closer to the actual Seireitei we should be able to find one of our leader's safe houses and rest before we make our actual infiltration." Ichigo just nodded in agreement and continued walking, careful to avoid any other individuals that might be close by to keep potential confrontations to a minimum.

As the two men continued on their journey Ichigo found that the districts began to blend together, each one would get slightly better than the last but after the first three they had been most seemed quite similar in nature. Yet another fact that was bothering him, why is it that Shinigami could live in a vast fortress with a comfortable lifestyle, nice clothing, clean water, and hot meals, while those they were sworn to protect lived in constant turmoil and fear?

As the sun began to set, Ichigo began wondering if Soul Society had a different length of day than the Human World. Gin motioned for him to follow into an alley off the main road. There they leaped up onto a rooftop and began to use Shunpo to quickly traverse the landscape, making far better time than they ever would have in the winding, pothole filled roads that they had been using since the morning.

 _***SoD***_

As the pair traveled, Ichigo quickly took notice when they passed the line into district 50. Suddenly the roads were covered in gravel, rather than just being dirt paths. Houses began to look sturdier as well as being larger than single room shacks, some even had two stories.

Shops began appearing that offered various goods and there were even people who walked the streets at night, unafraid of being attacked and mugged. The biggest changes were the people he would catch glimpses of between the Flash Steps.

They had expressions of hope on their faces.

A few hours into their accelerated fast traveling Gin broke off from the direction they had been moving in and took a small detour, curious Ichigo followed his lead and discovered a small building hidden high up in a small forest just off the main road, had Ichigo not been looking he would have missed it completely.

Gin unlocked the door and gestured for Ichigo to enter, before closing and relocking. He then proceeded to a small chest which contained what looked like dried preserved food, and offered some to his companion.

"Eat some Ichigo, it might not be the best tasting stuff you have ever had but it will help you recharge for when we continue on." Noticing the questioning look that the boy had on his face, Gin gave a slight chuckle. "Captain Aizen set up quite a few of these 'safe houses' in the Rukongai where we stored supplies should we ever need to spend some time outside of the Seireitei or even make a quick escape, he was a lot more paranoid back in the day. Of course Tousen didn't help the situation at all by freaking out every time a Captain glanced toward one of us." The pale man chuckled before taking a bit of what appeared to be some kind of dried fruit.

"Can I ask you something Gin? It is a bit personal though so I understand if you don't want to answer." After receiving a nod to continue Ichigo went on. "Why are you fighting against Soul Society? I understand that Aizen wants to become the next Soul King. Most of the Arrancar are fighting for their own reasons, or just survival. Tousen has his own unique sense of justice, but why are you involving yourself in all of this?" Ichigo asked.

"The simple answer is that I am an opportunist. I have run the simulations in my head and Captain Aizen has a very good chance of coming out on top, even if he doesn't the Seireitei will be changed forever, this way I have the most chance of changing things for the better. As a Captain I was among those who were aware of the situation in Rukongai, and yet I too did nothing. I have been watching the injustices continue to grow, the situation in the Soul Society and even in the Seireitei get worse as the years passed, now I have a chance to change things, to bring those who are guilty to justice that has been far past due. But now I wish to ask you the same question Ichigo, why are you choosing to fight?"

"Hard to say right now, I mean originally it was for revenge, or just a sense of debt toward Aizen. But now that I have seen the atrocities that the Gotei 13 has chosen to ignore I am starting to realize that I want to change them rather than just beat their faces in. I want to fix the way things happen here, to have death not be some awful penalty just because you ended up with a bad draw of the cards. Most of all though I want peace, I have only been involved in this conflict for a short time but I have seen the effect that war has on people, Shinigami and Arrancar alike. I wish to see an end of the conflicts, to have everyone be able to rest and live without fear of the future or worrying about upcoming conflicts."

"That is very noble of you Ichigo, you are far too wise for your age and it is a pity that you had to be put in the middle of this war."

"Perhaps, but maybe my intervention will help change things for the better."

Gin could only admire the determination shown by the boy. Having come so far in such a short time he had changed so many of the Arrancar.

Maybe when everything was said and done he could achieve his goal and change everything for the better.

"So what do you think will happen once all of this is over? If we win is anything really going to change? What if we lose?" The Espada asked the genius sitting across from him.

"I would imagine that if we win against the Gotei 13 then the Royal Guard will be the next step," upon seeing a confused expression on the boy's face Gin let out a slight chuckle. "My apologies with your knowledge and skill I sometimes forget that you are not an experienced Captain, The Royal Guard is composed of five former Shinigami Captains, all who have been specifically chosen for the 'honor' of guarding the Soul King for they contributions to Soul Society. It is said that the power of 'Squad Zero' is greater than the entire Gotei 13 combined."

"If that is true how in the hell does Aizen expect to deal with them? I mean we are going up against a weakened Gotei 13 and the odds are already about fifty-fifty chance of success, then we have to fight against five additional super powerful beings?"

"Captain Aizen has a plan for everything, you should know that by now Ichigo, but should we prove victorious over Squad Zero and he does claim the Soul King's throne I am not sure what will change. Undoubtedly most of the Shinigami will be exterminated although where that leaves the grand balance of everything I am not entirely sure."

"If we were to lose on the other hand, the Espada will surely be executed. There is no way that the Gotei 13 would allow their continued existence. Along with the other two 'traitor' Shinigami, I will most likely be given a trial, and found guilty. Then we will be executed as well." Gin finished, a sad expression momentarily appearing on his face.

"So what you are saying is that no matter who wins this war as it is now, everyone will eventually lose." Ichigo concluded.

"It would seem so, after all the outcome of the war is like a coin Ichigo, it only has two sides."

"It seems that way, but you know the old saying, 'Suppose you flip a coin enough times and one day it lands on its edge'."

 _***SoD***_

After resting for several hours Ichigo and Gin continued making their way towards their destination. As the two travelers continued on they eventually caught sight of a great wall, and white towers beyond it, the Seireitei.

The ex-Captain motioned for Ichigo to continue on the ground at a normal pace for the rest of the journey and the two began making their way through the towns, noticing the increase in prosperity as time wore on. Finally Gin mentioned that they were within an hour or so walk from the actual walls and that they should stop here to prepare the device that Aizen had given them.

As the two located a nearby safe house setup by the rebel leader Ichigo heard a small commotion in a nearby market area and decided to take a look, his curiosity getting the better of him.

As he walked in unnoticed he saw two young girls, who couldn't have been more than ten years old by his rough estimate, who were arguing with a shop owner.

"This is total crap! You can't just change the prices for different people!" The young black haired girl yelled irately.

"Come on don't start another scene, big brother warned us that if we were caught causing a fight again he would tell sis and you know how she feels about that." The other young girl, a blonde, spoke as she tried to pull her friend away."

"Yeah that's right you little twerps you better run! My shop means my rules you got that, I don't care who you are related to." The older man yelled as he waved a large stick in a threatening manner.

With the threat Ichigo decided to intervene for the young girls.

The young man strode up to the shop, keeping his appearance hidden, and in a calm, but threatening tone, asked what the problem was.

"This jerk keeps raising the prices for us, it isn't fair that he discounts his stuff down for the 'nobles' but raises them up for those of us who can't afford very much to begin with." The feisty black haired girl responded.

"Is this true?" The cloaked boy asked, directing his gaze, and a small amount of energy towards the man who promptly began sweating nervously.

"O-of c-course not sir, haha it was just a joke you see in fact you two lovely ladies can have a special discount, yeah!" The shop keeper stuttered out before handing the two girls a bundle of clothing that already looked worn out.

The two girls thanked the shopkeeper, the black haired one with a sarcastic smirk, before turning to thank their newfound friend.

"Thank you for the help mister, hey you should come back to our house for dinner! I am sure big sis won't mind." The polite blonde said with a smile on her face.

"Eh yeah I guess he can come, after all he did scare the crap out of that jerk." Another evil looking smirk adorned the face of the dark haired girl.

"Well I kind of have a bit of a schedule to keep sorry, my traveling companion went ahead but he will be expecting me soon. I was just happy to help, if you don't mind me asking, what are your names?" Ichigo inquired of the two young girls.

"My name is Yuzu and my sister here is named Karin." The happy looking blonde giggled out.

Well it is very nice to meet you two, my name is… Kuro," Ichigo lied, not wanting to use his real name just in case someone might recognize it.

"Nice to meet you Kuro, it looks like big bro is coming to get us though." Yuzu responded as a ruckus sounded from down the street.

Looking up Ichigo caught sight of a large dust cloud moving towards them. As it enveloped the street and finally cleared the former substitute caught sight of the one person he had wanted to see, and worried about encountering, Ganju Shiba.

"Hey Yuzu, Karin are you two causing trouble again? I told you that all you had to do today was buy some spare clothes, big sis is going to be really mad if you two got into a fight and… hey who are you?" Ganju finally acknowledged Ichigo who had been standing silently, hood still over his head.

"Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar, what is your name?" Ganju questioned, taking a few steps towards the Espada.

"Ganju leave him alone! He helped us deal with that grumpy old man who keeps overcharging us." Yuzu yelled at the man, who seemed to ignore her in favor of trying to get more information on the mysterious man.

"My name is Kuro, and I was just passing through with my companion when I heard the ruckus. I do not like seeing innocent people be exploited." Ichigo answered in a deeper voice than he normally used, trying to throw Ganju off. Karin seemed to notice the change in tone though and looked at him in a questioning way.

"Oh Kuro, we need to get going we do have a schedule to keep after all." Gin's slightly altered voice rang out as he walked out from behind the Arrancar, also cloaked to conceal his identity.

"Ah yes of course, well I wish you three the best of luck but I must be going now, it was a pleasure to meet all of you." Ichigo responded as he turned and departed with Gin, leaving a slightly confused Ganju still staring at him curiously.

"Come on Ganju we need to get home before we get in trouble again, remember last time?" Yuzu called out, bringing the man out of his daydream and causing him to pale slightly as he remembered the 'punishment' he had received.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! Come on girls jump onto my shoulders! I SHALL CARRY YOU HOME!" Ganju exclaimed in a very Isshin like way before throwing the two girls over his shoulders and taking off down the street in a run, not noticing the two companions on the nearby rooftop who had been watching him.

"It looks as if he is okay." Gin commented with a chuckle.

"Yeah, as okay as he ever was I suppose, the two girls though… I feel like I knew them from somewhere. How odd, but we must get going like you said, thank you for the help back there." Ichigo responded earning a nod from the ex-Captain before setting off towards their safe house.

 _***SoD***_

Several hours later the two men gathered on top of a small building just outside of the great wall.

"So Gin," Ichigo began as the two had setup the device given to them by Aizen, and were now waiting for nightfall, "what is the plan for when we actually get in there?"

"Well I figured that as long as we are quiet and keep ourselves concealed we should have no problem navigating the Seireitei without incident. The problem will be getting into the actual research facility to obtain the information. Once we are in though we should be able to summon Szayel quite easily, complete the objective, and have a little extra time for some mischief before we depart with the help of the Menos."

"If that is true, do you mind if we make a brief stop before we get to the compound?" Ichigo requested, earning an eyebrow raise from his companion. "There happens to be someone I would like to pay a visit to while we are here."

"Well I suppose so Ichigo. We won't be able to reveal ourselves to them though, or we might blow our cover and the element of surprise."

"That shouldn't be a problem" The boy answered with a strange smirk on his face.

"Hmm well it should be dark enough now I suppose it is time we get this party under way." Gin responded, stretching his back out a bit.

Ichigo nodded before taking out the small orb like device that Aizen had provided for their infiltration.

Standing next to Gin Ichigo concentrated his energy into the sphere, which promptly began to glow and formed a glass like barrier around the two men.

With a nod Gin then stretched his hand forward and pushed his own energy into the glass wall, which propelled the two men into the dome just above the wall of the Seireitei.

As the came into contact, the two barriers seemed to merge into each other as the bubble enclosing the two invaders silently phased through the barrier and vanished on the other side, allowing the two men to fall silently to the streets below.

The infiltration had begun.

***A/N***

Hope the cliffhanger was… cliffhangy enough for everyone, I couldn't really think of a good way to do it without stopping in the middle of a scene.

I am going to start making more cookies for all the beautiful reviewers :)

I hope everyone liked the little scene with Yuzu and Karin, they won't be reoccurring character but a few people requested that they make an appearance so… yeah. I was going to have a scene explaining how they are in Soul Society but couldn't think of a good way to do so while not making it seem out of place.

The reasoning was going to be that Masaki was a month or two pregnant when he was killed, but their souls were not devoured so instead they simply passed away and by convenience ended up finding Ganju at some point after Ichigo's capture.

I know a lot of you have been giving me great suggestions on how to push Ichigo more towards the 'dark side' and most revolve around Mayuri. I really enjoy a lot of these even if I don't use them. Let me just say this, the 'push' that I have been mentioning is coming very soon, and it has been planned almost since the inception of the story.

The first person to PM or comment on where Ichigo's little quote about the coin came from… they can have TWO cookies! Maybe even without googling it?

As always I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, because I actually had a lot of fun writing it, even if the beginning was a bit… emotionally draining.


	20. Anguish

**Shadows of Deceit**

Anguish

 _ ****WARNING! ****_ **This chapter contains a very mature scene in the later parts, there will be a warning beforehand and for those who wish to skip this simply search for "**End**" without the parenthesis to skip it. It is a rather important scene though so a summary will be provided at the end.**

The reviews rock, the follows are fantastic, the likes are literally incredible, and the views are… uh nice?

***I do not own Bleach, but I have conquered my inability to use scene breaks… so ha! ***

 _***SoD***_

The two rebels began their mission through the Seireitei, sneaking into alleys, ducking into buildings to avoid patrols, and even hiding on rooftops. If Ichigo had to be honest with himself, he was having fun.

There was no impending doom or clock pushing him forward, no deadline to rush through fight after fight, no one to worry about and look out for at all times. Just him and Gin creeping around like one of those silly spy movies.

The boy could've swore that he heard Gin humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme song once or twice.

This time their goal seemed to be achievable. Ichigo had learned after the first failed infiltration that he couldn't just go running about challenging everyone possible to a fight to try and beat his way through the entire Shinigami military in order to reach his goal.

The companions were making excellent time as well. So far they had avoided all of the casual patrols and with Gin suppressing his spiritual power, and Ichigo's already being undetectable under normal circumstances, they were confident that all officers could also be ignored.

 _***SoD***_

Around halfway to their destination Ichigo stopped and looked off into a random direction, Gin immediately halted his progress as well giving the boy an inquisitive look.

"What is it Ichigo?" the silver haired Shinigami asked, looking in the same direction and reaching out with his senses. Suddenly the ex-Captain went wide eyed in shock and quickly looked back toward the Arrancar, who was sporting a very Gin like smirk as he took off in a different direction.

Speeding to catch up with the boy Gin tried to call out, without shouting loud enough to wake the entire Soul Society.

"Ichigo wait, we have to keep going with the mission and this is endangering it… you could upset Captain Aizen." Gin hissed out, trying to appeal to the Arrancar's loyalty to their leader, but to no avail. The Cero Espada had arrived at his destination, standing on a rooftop and staring down, almost as if he was watching through the roof, the boy barely glanced up as Gin arrived on the roof silently.

"We shouldn't be here." Gin whispered worriedly with Ichigo, again, ignoring him.

"We came all this way Gin, the least you could do is make sure she is okay." Ichigo suddenly replied, still staring with unblinking eyes.

The former Captain gave a small sigh of defeat. Secretly the man was glad that Ichigo had 'forced' him into action, and silently dropped down onto the balcony below. A slight scan of the room ensured that his target was alone before he entered.

 _***SoD***_

Rangiku had been having a very rough day, screw that it had been a rough couple of months. It just so happened that all of her misery culminated into everything going wrong at once.

First she had been brought out of her nightmares, which were the only dreams she had anymore, by the loud sound of fighting from the Eleventh Division. After shouting at the apparently drunken idiots she had tried to return to slumber, only to hear more crashing from outside. The various men had not heeded her warning and forced her to get dressed, and leave the comfort of her room to go and 'explain' to them why she needed her sleep.

After returning to sleep for an hour or so her Captain decided it was time for an early morning combat exercise and proceeded to bang on her door. Grumbling she had rolled out of bed, gotten dressed and reported with the rest of her Division.

Then there had been the 'pep talk' and drills. Ever since Aizen's escape and Hinamori's severe injury Hitsugaya had been pushing his entire division harder each day and this had led to longer training sessions, more drills, more strategy discussions, and more rants about the evil traitors.

Her Captain was becoming obsessed with Aizen, and it was driving the fellow Captains and officers, her included, away from him due to his seeming mental instability.

After their initial meeting and training session there was an officers' meeting called by the Captain General. Here the Captains continued going over various intelligence reports on the traitors and their dealings in Hueco Mundo.

Captain Zaraki had initially suggested going to Hueco Mundo and attacking Aizen directly. This idea had been seconded by many of the officers present, including her own Captain, before being shot down by General Yamamoto citing poor intelligence on the enemy numbers and defensive capabilities. Instead they were simply waiting for their enemy to strike first, while recovering their own numbers.

Afterwards she had met up with the other lieutenants while the Captains held their own private meeting.

During this she had caught up on the latest gossip from the various other officers. Apparently there were rumors that the Gotei 13 was recruiting various other interested parties in order to bolster their forces for the upcoming war. Others had heard that outcasts, previously banned from ever returning to the Soul Society for various crimes, were being offered full pardons for their participation on the Seireitei's side.

After the meeting Rangiku had gone back to her quarters, hoping to just relax and take a nap but Hitsugaya had insisted that she focus on her paperwork instead. It was yet another part of her job that she absolutely loathed.

Finally while she was at dinner she had to overhear a group of lower ranking Shinigami talking about the three traitors and how he was personally going to kill each and every one of them. At this point the Tenth Division officer had been pushed too far, and slammed the poor man's face on the table repeatedly before storming out of the room.

Now, after taking a warm relaxing bath, she had just changed into her night clothing and slipped into her bed before finally being done with the day, or so she thought.

 _***SoD***_

Gin had entered the room silently, a skill perfected when he was busy sneaking around Soul Society for all those years with Aizen. Glancing around he made sure that there wouldn't be any interruptions before moving to Rangiku, already asleep on the bed.

His trademark grin vanished as it became a rarely seen comfortable smile. He slowly sat down next to the woman, gently parting her hair with his hand before whispering to the woman.

"Rangiku, I am sorry that things had to turn out this way. The only chance I have at finally find justice for you is through my current path. I am not sure what the future holds but no matter what happens know that I did everything for you." As he got up to leave a delicate hand reached out and gently grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Gin, am I dreaming? What are you doing here?" The Lieutenant muttered out sleepily, causing the ex-Captain to chuckle.

Suddenly her eyes shot open and she sat up staring at him, her grip tightening considerably. "Gin!" she spoke out in a normal voice, which caused the other Shinigami to put his finger to his lips to quiet her.

"Rangiku please be quiet I can't risk being caught yet, there are things I still need to do."

"B-But why? Why did you betray us Gin? Why did you leave me?" The woman stuttered out, tears forming at her eyes in a rare moment of vulnerability.

The silver haired man gently reached up and wiped the tears from her face as he gave her a sad smile. "I had to, I am so sorry. But the only way that anyone is going to have a happy ending is if I continue down the road I have chosen. I just hope that you can forgive me someday."

"Please don't go I will forgive you if you just stay here with me. I can't stand being in this place with the others. My sleep is haunted by nightmares and the taunting during the day along with the stares that are judging me for being associated with you are unbearable… please just stay with me." The woman practically begged.

"I know, I was afraid this would happen. That's why I tried to distance myself from you before everything occurred. The last thing I wanted was for you to get caught up in all this. But I can't come back, not yet. There is a war coming Rangiku and my role in everything is too important right now."

Before the woman could say anything else Gin leaned up and gently kissed her forehead, while casting Hakufuku on her, causing her to fall unconscious. Afterwards he tucked the woman back into her bed before walking outside. He gave one last glance back and then leapt up to the rooftop to join his companion once more.

"We aren't in a rush you know, you could have spent more time with her." Ichigo quietly called out as the two continued their travel towards the SRDI.

"I know, but any longer and I would have had trouble leaving her. I have a job to do right now." Gin responded in a serious tone.

Ichigo could only nod as the two nearly reached their destination.

Just as they arrived Gin whispered out, "Thank you Ichigo." Before activating a nearby hidden entrance and walking into a tunnel.

Ichigo could only smile and follow the ex-Captain.

 _***SoD***_

"So when do you think would be a good time to activate the bracelet?" Ichigo asked, trusting in his companion's judgment.

"Pretty soon, most of the SRDI is shielded from the outside so that no one knows what is going on in the interior. Once we are sure that there aren't any Captains here we will find a nice quiet corner to bring in the 'pink haired pariah'."

Ichigo could only chuckle at his companion's quirky nickname habit.

Continuing on Gin explained that the tunnels had been built by the former head of the SRDI, Kisuke Urahara, as a way to sneak out of doing work. Aizen had learned of them after the former's exile.

Finally reaching the end of the corridor the two came on what appeared to be a T-junction, before pressing on a slightly off-color brick which opened an invisible door in the wall.

Once inside and ensuring that there were no high ranking officers in the building, the two rebels located an empty room and activated the bracelet Szayel had given them.

The device glowed bright pink for a second then returned to normal. The two companions decided to wait until Szayel had come through the portal, which they had been informed could take up to an hour.

Luckily for them around five minutes later a small humming could be heard as Szayel seemed to slowly shimmer into existence.

"Ah success, not only that but I have all my limbs, brilliant!" The pink haired Arrancar proclaimed as he set about looking around the room, ignoring the two occupants.

"Alright Szayel you know the mission, we need to find this packet of information for Aizen-Sama and afterwards you can do as much sightseeing as time allows." Ichigo commanded in a stern voice, surprising the Shinigami who stood next to him.

"Of course Ichigo-San!" The Espada replied, suddenly taking his role very seriously and plugging into a nearby computer terminal. "This computer appears linked to their network, I will be able to ascertain where the information is, and if it is digital I can just download it from here."

"Alright, Gin and I will keep a watch out for any intruders." Ichigo responded, before closing his eyes and focusing his sixth sense to find the location of everyone inside the building.

"Success!" the noveno Espada exclaimed, causing the other two to shift their eyes towards him. "I found it, should only take a few moments to download, and then the sightseeing I was promised?" The Arrancar had said the last part in such a way that Ichigo was sure he was acting more like a little kid who had been promised a toy rather than a high ranking member of a military.

Laughing gently Ichigo nodded his head, much to the glee of the Espada, who quickly made some adjustments, saying that he would just download everything and sort through it later.

Szayel then told the other two occupants to split up and search for anything that seemed 'interesting' meanwhile he would be gathering samples from a nearby storage room for technology.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo traversed the halls, looking for something that Szayel would call 'interesting', he began to think back on everything he had seen in the Rukongai.

Obviously the Shinigami were nigh incompetent when it came to policing their own 'kingdom'. The rampant poverty, in the "nice areas", was bad enough but the farthest away districts… there was simply no excuse for that.

'Why is the Soul Society so unconcerned with the highest numbered districts?' Ichigo pondered as he walked. 'Rukia told me that one of the Gotei 13's main jobs was to control the afterlife, but that seems anything but controlled. Is the Seireitei so corrupt that they don't even care what happens to those who arrive in those areas?'

To the former substitute it seemed more like the ancient feudal class system rather than a balanced and safe world that he had always been told existed for those who died living good lives.

Instead even those who were decent people in their former lives could end up in a place that Ichigo imagined was worse than the hell that murderers were sent to.

'There in lays another problem' the Espada thought.' If the truly evil are sent to a completely different place then why is it that the 79 and 80 districts are so terrible? How do those who are judged as being good end up locked in massive wars that seem to have no end?'

Deciding that it wasn't the time, nor or the place, to continue pondering the ethics of the Soul Society the teen simply set his mind to finding anything that might prove useful.

At the end of the hallway he was currently in the boy reached a door simply marked 'Experiments'

Shrugging Ichigo entered the unlocked door.

The room was dimly lit as he glanced around at the various computer screens and charts. It was obvious that this room had been designed to have multiple occupants working on whatever kind of testing was being done.

Glancing around Ichigo found a light switch and, after flipping it on, turned to look at the various tables present.

 _***SoD***_

Gin had been walking through the halls when he spotted Ichigo heading into a room marked 'Experiments'. Curiosity getting the better of him the man followed after the boy. Glancing in his eyes opened wide as he saw the Espada fall to the floor, a look of horror in the teenager's eyes.

As Gin's gaze followed the Arrancar's, he immediately realized what it was that had stopped his companion.

He knew that Ichigo would never be the same after this, and that there would be hell to pay.

 _***SoD***_

Back in Hueco Mundo, Aizen decided that another group sparring session would be beneficial while Ichigo and Gin were away.

Originally he had set it up so that each Espada would have a chance to spar in the underground training facility that Szayel had finished earlier that day, however the pink haired Espada received the signal to join the infiltration team and had excitedly ran off, giggling in a creepy way about all the 'fun' he would be having.

Currently the two Espada dueling were Nelliel and Nnoitra.

'How shocking that Nnoitra would challenge her, yet again.' Aizen thought with sarcasm practically oozing from his mind as the female was tossing her opponent about, but avoiding doing any serious damage to the stubborn man.

Suddenly Nelliel's eyes opened wide in horror, and falling to her hands and knees gave out a painful cry, immediately gaining the attention of everyone in the area.

Her spiritual power began wildly fluctuating, but she had yet to receive any serious blow from the opposing Espada.

Tears began pouring out of her eyes as her heart and soul ached with a pain she had never felt before. The Espada had begun sobbing from the raw pain she felt, as realization dawned on her, it was the connection she had with her boyfriend. The group had known that they had been fused by the 'incident' in a way that could not be explained. They had gained the ability to feel the emotions of the others even without being nearby… but it had never been this strong before.

Harribel had been discussing various events with her Fraccion, when she too had been struck with an immense pain. It wasn't a physical pain from an injury or attack but rather it felt like her heart was being stabbed with raw emotion. Falling back on her knees, she wrapped her arms around her torso to try and stop herself from shaking as her eyes began tearing up.

Stark, on the other hand, was bored out of his mind during all this. With Ichigo off on assignment he found himself falling back into his old habits of sleeping and generally being lazy. All of a sudden he felt an aching in his heart of an unknown intensity, gasping he extended his left arm to steady himself while clutching his chest with his right hand. It was so much emotional pain that he was sure he could die from it if it continued.

"Ichigo…" he muttered out with his eyes widening in horror at the realization, his brother was suffering to a degree that even the Primera didn't think was possible, and they were receiving only a small portion of the backlash.

Nnoitra just gazed at his opponent in confusion for a second before a sickening grin crossed his face. It was finally his time to shine. He didn't care for the reason, attributing it to Nelliel finally coming to her senses and bowing to her superior in fear and admiration, but he wasn't going to miss such a golden opportunity to claim the rank of quinto Espada.

Raising his oddly shaped weapon he sneered down at the woman. "It looks like this match is mine, bitch." Before swinging it down to finish her, ignoring the order from Aizen to stop the match.

Before he could follow through with the attack he felt an incredibly powerful blow land in his stomach, then a follow up attack of his left arm being extended, and broken. Finally the man found himself being hurtled through the air like a rock and ended up crashing through several structures before coming to a stop, his entire body roaring in pain.

 _***SoD***_

Ulquiorra had appeared in the middle of the fight in a flash of Sonido, coming to the aid of his companion, and friend, despite the orders to stay out of the fights. After beating the arrogant prick of an Espada he was immediately aware of another opponent closing in from behind.

Grimmjow appeared behind the normally stoic Espada, shouting out something about a "free for all", only to be stopped by the pale man. His fingers were extended directly in front of the feral man's face, and a pale green Cero had instantly been charged.

"Give me a reason." Ulquiorra called out, his voice lacking the normal emotionless qualities that everyone had grown accustomed to. Instead it was laced with hatred and aggression, promising a painful demise to not only the blue haired Arrancar, but any other who would try and harm those he was protecting.

To Aizen the message was clear, Ulquiorra had directly disobeyed him to help his friends.

He had chosen his side and allegiances.

 _***SoD***_

**Warning the graphic scene follows, again for those wishing to skip simply search for **End** a summary will be given in the A/N at the end of the chapter.

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*

*

*

Ichigo stared at the scene before him, his mind swirling with thoughts and emotions, trying to protect itself from the damage that had already been done.

Before him were four tables, and on each of them were the barely recognizable bodies of his friends.

They had been experimented on, tortured, dissected, and dismembered. Their bodies had been ripped open and held there by medical instruments, various organs and other body parts lay in small containers nearby.

Next to the tables were various machines attached to them, along with needles connecting various bags of fluids, for who knows what purpose.

The worst part of all though, was their expressions.

Uryu had a look that spoke of defiance and anger, he had obviously resisted until the very end, probably shouting curses to those around him.

Chad's normally stoic face was a mixture of pain and acceptance, the latter of which hurt Ichigo far more than the former. He had given up hope of being saved, and had accepted his fate.

The worst of all though were his two female friends. The expressions of fear and agony that adorned their features was unbearable, looking at them he noticed the most heart wrenching thing of all, their finger were linked together. They had, in their final moments, held onto each other for comfort.

The situation was clear. None of them had been killed as he had been told. Instead they had been tortured and experimented on until their bodies and minds had given out, death being their final relief from the cruelties of the captors.

**End**

As Gin slowly approached the boy, seeing the expression of pure anguish of his face, he felt Szayel enter the room from behind. Giving the other Espada a quick motion to keep his mouth shut he finally reached the teen and gently spoke out, realizing exactly who it was on the unforgiving slabs.

"Ichigo, I am…" Then his eyes opened wide as the room began shaking, as if the ground itself was responding to the boy's pain.

Beakers fell off shelves, equipment buzzed and short circuited, and dust fell from the ceiling as the shaking escalated until it suddenly stopped.

Gin let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding the entire time before he recognized the situation for what it was.

The calm before the storm.

Then all hell broke loose.

The chains that Ichigo had attributed to his newfound powers roared into existence all around him, ripping through walls and equipment as easily as a person would tear a piece of paper. They seemed to act out his will, taking out his pain, frustration, and agony on the building and everything else in it.

Gin would later muse that it almost resembled the Captain General's release command, 'Reduce all of creation before me into ash'.

Ichigo's will, and the weapons that followed it, became a maelstrom of destruction, tearing everything into smaller and smaller fragments.

Throughout it all, the former Captain realized a rather terrifying fact. Despite all of the destruction that he was causing the two companions had been left unharmed, in fact despite everything going on around them not a speck of dirt reached either of their bodies, nor the remains of Ichigo's former companions. The situation was best described in the phrase his leader had once used before, "controlled chaos".

Finally the assault stopped, and Ichigo remained in his previous position, fallen on his knees, his head bowed, and the glistening of tears running down his face. But he made neither sound nor movement.

Glancing around the silver haired man realized that the entire SRDI lay in ruins, save for what Szayel had managed to steal beforehand. Acting quickly, and realizing that a disaster of this magnitude would surely bring the full force of the Shinigami officer corps down on the area, Gin signaled to Szayel to _carefully_ place the remains of Ichigo's friends into body bags for proper burial, and gave him a glare that told him of the consequences should he do any kind of similar research into them.

 _***SoD***_

After gathering all of the remains, and carefully placing them into the bags he had brought for other uses Szayel motioned to Gin that he had completed his objective, and pressed a button on his bracelet to signal for their exit.

Suddenly a flurry of movement caught the former ex-Captain's attention and he glanced up to see the entire Court Guard assembled before them.

"Gin Ichimaru!" a booming voice called out that the man in question instantly recognized.

"Ah Captain General, so good to see you again! I hope that you don't mind me stopping by, it seems as if I left behind my toothbrush when making my exit last time so I was forced to come back and retrieve it." The silver haired man replied as he smiled at the assembled Captains.

"Gin! Where is Aizen, if you tell me I might not cut you into pieces for what you did to Momo!" Hitsugaya shouted in rage.

"Oh well in that case Captain Aizen is in Hueco Mundo. You're welcome for the information." Gin replied cheerfully, only agitating the white haired child more.

"You and your companions are under arrest Gin, come along peacefully or we will be forced to take drastic actions, and none of us want that." The laid back Shunsui commanded before pushing up his signature hat.

"Well I would but I doubt that Captain Aizen would be very happy if he knew we just surrendered. Plus I would recommend you reconsider your 'drastic actions' threat my friend here is quite upset at the moment and I fear that should you advance on us he might take offense and make hostilities of his own, mainly ripping half of you to pieces." Gin responded, sending a knowing smirk towards the various Captains who finally realized that there was a third member of the group in front of them.

"What the hell, he doesn't even have any spiritual pressure, how boring is that." Kenpachi grumbled out.

"Well this has been fun, and I can't wait to see you all again but we do have a schedule to keep and seeing as our time is up, I bid you all adieu." The pink haired Espada spoke, for the first time since the Captain's arrived, as a tear in the sky formed.

"Get back!" the oldest Shinigami ordered as three pillars of light struck the infiltration team, and started to raise them, along with the body bags and various other spoils of war, up into the sky.

"Negacion" the General muttered out, "when the light reached those three, they became out of our reach."

"Indeed General, although I am sad to leave again, it has been fun seeing you all again, bye bye." Gin exclaimed as he gave his signature wave and grin as they disappeared into the Garganta.

***A/N***

Wow that was a hell of a chapter.

Summary of the 'scene' is as follows. Ichigo stumbles upon the bodies of his four friends that he had infiltrated Soul Society with to save Rukia they were obviously not killed in combat but rather cruelly experimented on by the SRDI.

This is probably the most important chapter in the entire story, simply because it marks the major change in Ichigo's reasoning. As many have mentioned, before it was more like Ichigo was just following Aizen for the hell of it, and that he sort of understood why his friends were killed. This is where he gains the hatred that will push him to actually fight against all of the Shinigami.

"He needed the push"

I felt bad for Gin that he never got to say his goodbyes and have a moment with Rangiku so I gave him one, I really do enjoy Gin's character in the manga/anime.

Also something I apparently need to address, Karin and Yuzu. Originally they were not going to be in this story but due to a couple of requests I decided to have them be minor characters, essentially showing Ichigo that not EVERYONE in Soul Society is completely evil or messed up.

They are there because Masaki had been a month or two pregnant when she was killed. Their souls had not been devoured as their mother's was so instead they simply died before being born. Which I assume means they still go on to Soul Society.

Finally I hope you all enjoyed reading this, I had a hell of a hard time writing it as the notable scene had me on the verge of tears the entire time.


	21. Recovery

**Shadows of Deceit**

Recovery

Huge thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed, read, liked, or followed this story or me in general.

***Once upon a time I owned Bleach, and then I woke up and realized I had been dreaming. ***

 _***SoD***_

The trip back to Hueco Mundo was eerily quiet, not that the passage through a Garganta isn't already quiet but this was something different, something more.

Ichigo hadn't spoke since the discovery back in the SRDI and Gin knew that the damage to his mind had already been done, what the consequences were not even he could guess. Szayel had picked up on this and kept quiet as well, realizing the boy's fragile state of mind and not wishing to invoke the wrath of something powerful enough to level a building subconsciously.

Finally they had made it through and upon their arrival noticed that Aizen, along with the rest of the Arrancar, stood at the entrance to greet them.

"Ah welcome back, I hope everything went as planned?" The brown haired man spoke out, glancing to each of them but stopping his gaze on Ichigo.

"Y-yes of course Lord Aizen, I will begin the process of sorting through the information that we have retrieved and the various technologies that I managed to obtain as well. I shall inform you as soon as I am done with my task." The pink haired Espada nervously replied before quickly leaving the area for his lab.

"It seems as though Szayel is quite excited, he left four of his toys behind." Yammy laughed out as he went to retrieve the bags, not realizing what they had inside.

"Ah, no that won't be necessary Yammy. These are actually not experiments for Szayel." Gin quickly stepped directly into the larger Arrancar's path as he tried to dissuade him from inquiring further, causing Aizen to glance suspiciously between the bags and his lieutenant.

"Well then since you are the leading officer of the mission I would like a debriefing Ichi…" Aizen spoke out before being hastily interrupted by the former Captain.

"That won't be necessary Captain Aizen. I would be more than happy to give you a full report, heck I will even write it down for you! After all my paperwork skills have fallen into such decline since I was a seated officer I might as well give myself a refresher eh? Ichigo is quite tired though after the entire ordeal so he will probably want to rest and take the remainder of the day, surely he has earned some personal time right?"

Again Aizen glanced suspiciously at Gin, then back at the boy in question. "Gin, could you come here for a moment, there is something I need to ask of you in private."

Receiving a nod the leader took a few steps out of the immediate area, followed by the other ex-Captain, before having a hasty whispered conversation. The Espada watched curiously as their master's eyes widened in shock for a brief moment, before returning to their normal calculating gaze and giving a nod to the silver haired man.

"Very well, due to various complications during the mission Ichigo will be given some personal time to recover. All Espada are dismissed, the rest of you are not released from training and we will resume later this afternoon." Aizen spoke with a voice of authority as the other Espada nodded and left, still curious about the mission but not wanting to waste any recovery time before the next sparring session.

All save the four Espada most attached to the youngest member.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Nelliel asked, slowly moving forward and reaching out to the boy who still had his head down, masking his face with his hair. The green haired beauty was worried for her companion, after all Aizen was not known to give free time to anyone and Ichigo appeared physically fine but she knew that something was terribly wrong after the incident earlier that day in the training hall.

As she came within a few feet of the boy he suddenly vanished from sight, along with the four mysterious black bags that had been left by Szayel.

"Ichigo…" Harribel muttered out, never seeing him act that way. She too had become concerned about his wellbeing.

"Aizen-Sama, is something wrong with Ichigo?" Stark inquired, using honorifics to try and charm some information out of his leader.

"It is not my place to explain what has happened Stark, just know that Ichigo has been very emotionally traumatized and he is going to need help to recover. For now though just give him a bit of space while the initial shock wears off, until then I suggest the four of you get some rest. There is one thing I would like to address with you four though. From his report it seems as though the incident in the Soul Society coincided with our incident in the training facility earlier today. My guess would be that due to the Hogyoku's influence, as well as your own connections with Ichigo, you three experienced his emotional trauma to a degree, I hope this can help put some of what he experienced into perspective." Aizen replied before leaving with his two Shinigami officers in a blur of Shunpo.

 _***SoD***_

Despite their leader's advice the four Espada tried for much of the day to locate their companion, but to no avail.

Nelliel and Harribel checked his room, but it didn't even appear as though he had entered it since returning. Stark and Ulquiorra checked their usual hangout spots first, and then the training area, hoping that Ichigo had been taking out any frustrations on training, but found no trace of the boy.

The four even went so far as to find and ask Gin, knowing that the silver haired Shinigami had a way of knowing everything that was going on in the fortress before anyone else did, save maybe Aizen himself. All that they received was a sympathetic smile and a shake of his head from the ex-Captain.

"If I knew where he was, I would tell you believe me. I owe Ichigo for what happened during the last mission and I know that he is going to need all of your help to recuperate."

"What did happen?" Stark pressed a slight desperation in his voice for the information.

"I want to tell you, but… it's like Captain Aizen said, it's not my place to do so. This is a personal matter that he needs to explain when he is ready and prying or going around him to find out will only make things worse." Gin replied.

So the four Espada continued their search. Up until they were summoned to the training room by Aizen.

After the training was over the four companions went through Las Noches one more time, trying to catch even a glimpse of their friend. They spent several hours searching, but in the end came up with nothing and decided to continue the following morning after resting.

None of them slept at all that night.

 _***SoD***_

The following morning Aizen was greeted by the sight of Harribel and Nelliel sitting in the breakfast chamber, playing with their food and looking exhausted. After taking his usual seat, with a small plate of food and a cup of tea, he turned to address the two females.

"I assume that your lack of rest is due to Ichigo's absence?" The Shinigami correctly guessed as the two gave a slight nod in confirmation.

"It's not just his absence. It feels like there is something missing, it wasn't this bad when he was gone on his missions." Nelliel spoke up as she took a small bite of the food she had grabbed.

"I saw Ulquiorra and Stark in their usual common room this morning when I got up. Apparently they hadn't been able to sleep either. They are both just staring at a Chess board but no one had made a single move." Harribel muttered out, almost as if talking to herself.

Just as the blonde haired female had finished with her statement the two Espada in question walked into the room, also appearing as if in a daze, before sitting down at the table.

"Aizen-Sama" The pale Arrancar greeted pitifully before taking to glancing around at the two females and giving a half-hearted nod.

Stark simply stared down, as if he had fallen asleep at the table.

Just as Aizen was about to ask another question Gin appeared inside the room with a flash of Shunpo, causing Aizen to raise an eyebrow at the Shinigami's sudden intrusion.

"Ah good you are all here I just heard from Szayel that he has sorted through all of the information gathered in the Soul Society. He had tried to reach you Captain Aizen but you must have already left your quarters. Also when I asked if he had seen Ichigo he replied that the boy has been in the training room since…" But before the ex-Captain finished his statement a loud buzzing of Sonido filled the air as the four Espada in the room vanished instantly.

"Well at least that is one mystery solved. I wonder how this will sort itself out though. Gin if you would please accompany me to the surveillance room after breakfast I believe we might need to have an intervention on the boy's behalf." Aizen commanded before sipping more of his tea and receiving a confirmation from his lieutenant.

 _***SoD***_

When the four Espada burst into the training room they found their companion busy training, just like Gin had said.

Ichigo appeared to be working on using his _Cadenas de Sombras_ in multiple imaginary battles at the same time, trying to perfect his ability to fight multiple enemies while surrounded.

"Ichigo!" Nelliel called out gleefully, her mood immediately improving upon seeing the person she had been so concerned about.

As the four ran down to where he was training though, he only turned and gave them a short nod of acknowledgement before returning to his task. That short glance, though, was enough to stop them dead in their tracks.

Ichigo's eyes had taken on a hollow, empty appearance that sent chills down their spines.

"Ichigo, please talk to us." Harribel pleaded, only to be ignored as the Espada continued destroying the landscape as part of his training.

It was then that the Primera decided to take matters into his own hands.

Walking straight up to his best friend he reached out and placed his arm on the boy's shoulder, only to find himself slammed against a nearby rock wall. The Arrancar was being held just off the ground by Ichigo, who was staring straight into his eyes with a crazed look in his own.

For what seemed like hours the two remained frozen, simply staring each other down before Stark relented and took on a sympathetic look. Then Ichigo broke down, falling to the ground before the man in front of him sobbing uncontrollably.

Stark bent down, wrapping his arms around the boy in a comforting hug.

"Sometimes I forget that Ichigo is only a child in more ways than one, not only is he barely a teenager in years of life but he has been exposed to combat for less than a year now." Ulquiorra analyzed sadly, while walking with the two girls to their two comrades.

 _***SoD***_

"It started when we arrived in the Soul Society." Ichigo began.

The five companions had left the training room, after Ichigo had calmed down, and returned to their normal meeting chamber. Ulquiorra ensuring that the door was locked so that they would not be interrupted.

After sitting in silence for ten minutes Ichigo had begun explaining what had happened.

"It was, indescribable… the feeling of that place just drained the emotion and hope out of you. The bodies, the blood, the carnage, it was mind breaking. But we kept going. It got 'better' as we continued walking. The next was a warzone, everything was covered in blood and all I could hear was the sound of battles and death, but somehow it was better than the previous district." Ichigo continued on, his voice low and without emotion.

"The next couple dozen districts were just slums, people walking around in filth and wearing rags. There was no happiness in their eyes, just acceptance. Finally we reached a district where we could see smiles and pleasant conversation. It was hardly a nice place but it was so much more relieving than anything we had been in. When we reached the Seireitei, I thought the worst was behind us but I was wrong." The Espada continued, "After we arrived at the SRDI we started exploring for Szayel, looking for trinkets and information for him to examine. It was shortly after I started that I came to a door marked 'experiments' I entered and…" At this point Ichigo had to stop himself, tears once again coming to his eyes.

Nelliel and Harribel walked to either side of the boy, who had been sitting on the couch up until now, and each took one of his hands comfortingly.

After a minute or two Ichigo was able to compose himself and continued on.

"I found the remains of my friends. Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad, and Uryu were dead. They had been taken alive despite what I was told and… experimented on." At this point Ichigo broke down again, he hid his face in his palms trying to hide his tears and his embarrassment at his perceived weakness.

Nelliel and Harribel had horrified looks on their faces. The thought of their friends or Fraccion undergoing such torture was an unbearable thought.

Stark's own thoughts were focused on the other three and Lillynette, someone who he thought of as a daughter.

Ulquiorra, for his part, couldn't imagine his new friends being taken from him in such a horrific way.

"Ichigo, I am so sorry. I didn't know that you had gone through that." Ichigo looked up and sent Nelliel a small smile.

"Thank you all for just… being there for me." The young man spoke up in gratitude.

"With everything that is going to happen, you know we will have your back." Ulquiorra spoke up with confidence in his eyes.

"I know, and no matter what happens I will protect all of you, I won't let what happened to them happen to anyone else." Ichigo replied with conviction.

 _***SoD***_

"I am glad to see you are doing better Ichigo, I do wish to ask how you are feeling though. We didn't have enough time to talk when you returned from your last mission." Aizen drawled out after calling for a meeting in the evening, due to having heard of Ichigo's return and Szayel had finished with his task.

"I am doing better. I am not okay, but I will get there." The Cero Espada replied.

"Very good, I do however have one other question, where were you yesterday after you disappeared?" The rebel leader inquired.

"I had some personal business to take care of. My friends needed to be buried." Ichigo replied with a stare that dared anyone to object.

"I see I assume that you were able to do this while avoiding any Shinigami." The former Captain replied, and upon receiving a nod of confirmation continued on with his business. "Now then I wish to brief you all on the information that we have acquired from the Seireitei due to Ichigo and his team." Aizen continued, immediately gaining the undivided attention of everyone in the room.

"You see for quite some time now I have been suspicious of the Captain known as Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He seemed to be very interested in all seated officers and their abilities. What I eventually discovered was that he has been collecting information on every Captain, Lieutenant, and officer capable of posing a combat threat. This information includes all characteristics of their Zanpakuto, including their Bankai's." The Shinigami finished, allowing his gaze to sweep over the room at the stunned expressions.

"They allowed someone to collect that sort of information? What kind of morons are they?" Grimmjow practically shouted.

"Oh no, it was not 'allowed' in any way. The information he collected was stolen from various archives and observations. I doubt many of the current Captains are even aware that this information was kept. For that reason this gives us an obvious superiority. As I have always said 'knowledge is the greatest weapon in war'. Now we know everything about their greatest weapons while they know next to nothing about us." Aizen finished with a calculating smile.

"So Aizen-Sama, what are your orders then?" Stark inquired.

"Simply this, for the next month I want every single Espada and Fraccion to memorize this information, and begin preparing for war. Then when we do finally make our initial invasion, it will be devastating against the Shinigami." The brown haired man replied before dismissing all, save Ichigo.

"If you would wait a minute Ichigo, I have a small task I would like you to take care of for me in the next month."

"Of course Aizen-Sama, what is your command?" The Espada responded with a respectful bow.

"There are some factions in the World of the Living that need to be neutralized to better increase our odds of success."

"I shall take care of it immediately Aizen-Sama."

"Oh there is no rush Ichigo, after all I have no doubt of your tracking abilities and you have an entire month to accomplish this. Take the rest of the day to relax and recover." Aizen spoke with a strange knowing smirk forming on his face, puzzling the boy in front of him.

Ichigo bowed then turned and left the hall to return to his room, it had been a long and stressful day.

 _***SoD***_

After arriving in his room Ichigo had fallen face first onto his bed in exhaustion. True he had not been terribly active, besides the early morning training, but his emotional state had been physically, mentally, and spiritually draining.

After a few moments he found himself drifting off to sleep before a knocking at his door quickly brought him to his senses.

Upon opening it he found himself face to face with his emerald haired girlfriend Nel.

"Uh hey Nel, are you okay?" he asked, immediately concerned for his friend.

"I am, I was worried about you though. You seem to be avoiding us lately and I want to make sure you are okay." Her eyes were busy searching his own for the answer.

"Yeah I'm sorry I don't mean to be, it's just that I have had a rough couple of days and I don't want to drag any of you down into my grief with me."

"Ichigo, you are not dragging us down with you, we want to be here with you to protect you as much as you protect us."

The boy stepped slightly out of the doorway to allow the girl entrance to his room before shutting the door behind her and running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah I know you are all worried about me. Like I said I am not okay, not by a longshot but I am getting there."

The emerald haired beauty smiled softly at him. "Could I sleep with you tonight?"

At the question Ichigo blushed once more, but noticeably less than he would have a week ago.

"Uh yeah sure Nel, I would like that. You just sort of threw me off with how your question was worded that's all." The male Arrancar laughed, trying to dissipate some of his discomfort.

"Oh I am quite aware of how I worded it, you may take it however you wish though." Nelliel replied again before walking over to the bed and sliding under the covers, leaving the boy frozen wide eyed.

Eventually he recovered and followed her under the covers before wrapping his arms around her, as they had the last time they were in this situation, causing Nelliel to do the same. After a few moments the woman realized that Ichigo was holding her in a much stronger grip then before, as if afraid to let her go when she realized what was happening.

'He is afraid to lose me as well. He can be so childlike, thinking that if you hold onto something hard enough it can't go away.' She thought with a warm smile, before looking at his sleeping face.

As she stared at him something inside her clicked, and leaning forward she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Ichigo immediately opened his eyes, and stared into her own.

"Nel I…"

"It's okay Ichigo. I am not trying to push you into anything. I just want you to know that I am not going anywhere, nothing is going to happen to any of us." She interrupted softly, trying to comfort the boy as best she could.

Much to her surprise, however, Ichigo leaned forward and returned the kiss, both realizing that it was not an innocent gesture. Soon they were holding each other tighter and tighter, the kiss deepening with every passing moment.

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Ichigo awoke, feeling strangely satisfied. In addition the memories from his previous mission had begun to fade, feeling more like an old nightmare rather than an actual occurance. Glancing over at the sleeping woman's nude form, hidden with just a blanket, he gave the first real smile he had in several days.

Silently sliding out of bed he quickly put on some clothes, and left to get breakfast for the two of them.

Upon arrival at the dining area he was slightly annoyed with the knowing smirks he received from all those present, those being Gin, Aizen, Stark, Ulquiorra, and Harribel.

"Good morning." Ichigo greeted, with more emotion in his voice than he had used in the previous few days.

"A very good morning Ichigo, you seem to have slept well." Stark responded, his grin growing even larger.

"Yes Ichigo I just hope that you got enough sleep, even with your ridiculous stamina I hope you aren't tired." Ulquiorra chimed in, with surprisingly teasing manner.

"Actually I am more concerned about Nelliel, after all she has never been known for her stamina and I imagine that last night's 'activities' took quite a bit out of her. Perhaps we should postpone this morning's training session Aizen-Sama? She might need some time to recover." Harribel's comment immediately made Stark and Gin giggle like little girls, while Ichigo started turning red in embarrassment.

"Oh I think that can be arranged, even with an Espada's natural regeneration and durability I am sure that Nelliel will be feeling quite sore this morning, perhaps you should take some food to help her recovery Ichigo?" Aizen spoke, in a very analytical manner, as if he wasn't talking about something completely perverted.

"Of course Aizen-Sama, I was just coming down to retrieve her some breakfast." Ichigo replied, reigning in his blushing and grabbing two plates of food.

As he began his walk back toward the door, and hearing more snickering behind him, Ichigo turned one last time to address the occupants.

"I am curious about something and I was wondering if any of you could answer this for me." After receiving several questioning looks he continued. "Why would anyone tease an individual who they are well aware can move undetected through a high level military fortress, especially when they know that person is likely to retaliate against them when they are least expecting it?" Ichigo mused out loud, and seeing the others begin to pale, smirked before returning to his room.

"What have we done?" Stark muttered out, an expression of horror adorning his face.

 _***SoD***_

Upon returning to his room, Ichigo closed the door behind him, then realized that the current occupant was sitting up in the bed and stretching, giving him an extremely nice view of her.

"I brought breakfast." Ichigo spoke out, his unblinking gaze fixed on her body.

"Thank you Ichi-Kun, see something you like?" Nel giggled out, snapping Ichigo back to attention.

"You know I do." The boy replied, giving her a smile that hinted at something more.

"Breakfast first Ichigo, I am still sore from last night."

"I hope I didn't hurt you, not like the beating I am going to be giving Stark and Ulquiorra later today."

"I am a pleasant kind of sore, and what did those two do to earn your wrath?"

After setting down the tray for Nel, and insisting that she try the 'breakfast in bed' idea, Ichigo explained the situation he had run into earlier.

"Oh they are going to pay." Nel growled out with a hint of mischief in her voice.

The rest of the meal was spent in pleasant conversation before there came a loud knocking at his door.

"MISTRESS NELLIEL ARE YOU IN THERE? ARE YOU BEING HELD HOSTAGE? DO YOU NEED RESCUING? IF YOU DO, REMAIN SILENT AND WE WILL RETRIEVE YOU." Pesche shouted out on the other side of the door.

"No that is not…" the woman in question yelled back.

"SEE SHE IS IN DANGER! SUPER RETREIVAL PLAN NUMBER SEVEN ACTIVATE!" Came the reply, before the door was rammed down. Apparently Dondochakka had used Pesche's head as a battering ram.

The Espada barely had enough time to wrap herself up in the blanket, before her Fraccion could see anything however they were soon well aware of the situation.

"I knew it! The fiend has kidnapped and robbed lady Nelliel of her innocence! Pesche prepare for combat!" The Arrancar shouted out, drawing a confused look from Ichigo and an angry glare from Nel.

"Now wait just a second, Ichigo didn't…"

Before the woman could finish her sentence the two followers charged the boy at full speed.

Unfortunately Ichigo's instincts immediately kicked in, and he reached out, holding them both at arm's length by their heads.

"Just you wait kid! We are going to break this defense of yours and then…." Suddenly Dondochakka stopped, and spun around to face his confused leader.

"LADY NELLIEL HOW COULD YOU ROB THIS YOUNG BOY OF HIS INNOCENCE!?" He shouted, causing both Ichigo and Nel to comically sweat drop at the change in attitude.

"I did not rob him of…"

"Yes 'lady Nelliel' how could you do such a thing?" came the response from the doorway, confusing all those present at they looked at a smirking Harribel standing in the doorway. "I thought we agreed that we would share Ichigo's first time?" The dark skinned Espada continued in a teasing manner.

Suddenly a strange sound filled the halls, as if somewhere the Primera was crying about how unjust the world was.

"Anyways… Aizen has called all of the Espada to the meeting chamber as soon as possible. Apparently a spy has been apprehended."

 _***A/N***_

*Quick note, this chapter was originally designed to have sexual content in it, but due to various rules and regulations on FF I have decided to post that version onto my DeviantArt account instead, the link will be in my profile. *

This chapter was a bit hard for me to write, not because I didn't enjoy it, but rather I had some writer's block/distractions during the week, and my imagination has been acting all the hell up with other story ideas.

Couple of questions I have been asked that do raise some good points:

The bodies of Ichigo's friends, even though they were in Soul Society we know for a fact that death doesn't mean dissolving, such as the case for the Central 46 bodies remaining after their deaths. Those involved will be revealed later, but at this point the damage between the Shinigami and Ichigo has already been done.

Most of the movie content will not be included in the story, partly because I haven't actually seen any of them and that some of the movies just made no freaking sense to me. However I will be including some parts I had previously ignored in a later chapter to fill in some gaps and such.

Next chapter is going to be a bit more "filler" before the battles begin, hopefully I can actually finish this next one on time but no promises, life has been catching up a lot lately.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the read, I enjoyed the write.


	22. Guarding the Flanks

**Shadows of Deceit**

Guarding the Flanks

Thanks to all who have reviewed, read, liked, or followed this story or my account.

 **This chapter has an alternate version containing lemon content see A/N at the end for details.**

***I still don't own or make any money off of Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo glanced around the large table, noting that all of the Espada had now assembled and that they were only waiting for their leader. Looking to his left he whispered out the question that had been on the minds of more than one occupant of the room.

"Do you know what this is all about? It seems strange for Aizen-Sama to assemble us just to deal with one spy." Ichigo asked Stark, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Ah I am glad to see you all have assembled so promptly. Undoubtedly many of you are wondering what I have called you all here for. The answer is quite simple though, an enemy agent has been captured in the Forest of Menos and our forces there have brought him here for judgment as I have ordered. I would like my new Cero Espada to do the interrogation, and give me a recommendation on his fate." Aizen spoke out as he strolled into the room, with Gin and Tousen behind him.

"If you don't mind me asking Aizen-Sama, why did you choose me? Surely there are others here who know far more about our goals and objectives than I do and would know better questions to ask." The Espada in question replied.

"Oh there most certainly are, however I would like to see how much your personality has been influenced by your mission to the Seireitei. I need to know if you are still able to do what is necessary and can make the correct decisions despite what you have been through." The former Captain replied with an analytical gaze focused on the boy.

"So there was a Shinigami captured in the forest then?" Ichigo muttered out thoughtfully, causing the rebel leader to gain an even larger smile to form on his face.

"Very good analysis Ichigo, I am glad to see that you have kept that side of yourself. Now let us see how the rest of your mind has been affected." The Shinigami commanded, as he led Ichigo into a side room, where a single man was chained to the floor.

The 'spy' appeared to be a young redheaded male, with a ragged Shinigami outfit and with several cracked Hollow masks attached in a pattern that appeared more like armor than decoration.

Aizen gestured for the boy to proceed, and then left the room while closing the door behind him.

 _***SoD***_

The remaining Espada gathered in an observation room to watch the events on a large monitor.

Aizen entered after a few moments and took a seat next to his two lieutenants to observe the interrogation with interest.

As the screen flickered to life it revealed Ichigo had walked a circle around the captive, simply taking in the man's appearance. He then sat down on a stool across from the Shinigami.

"So, what is your name?" Ichigo asked in a curious tone.

"Why the hell should I tell you, monster?" The man responded.

"Well you can either talk to me, or sit in silence and wait until my leader sends in someone else to ask you questions. The thing is that I can almost guarantee that I will be the kindest 'monster' you meet in this place."

The man remained silent for a few moments before responding in a somewhat defeated tone.

"Ashido Kano."

"Nice to meet you Kano-San, now if you would mind answering a few simple questions I would be very grateful."

 _***SoD***_

"Ha what a lame ass way of getting information." Yammy laughed out in the observation room.

"Perhaps it's not as violent as you would be Yammy, but I would imagine it is easier to get answers from a captive when they are still breathing." Szayel intoned, receiving a grunt from the larger Espada.

 _***SoD***_

"The first thing I would like to know is what you were doing in the Forest of Menos." Ichigo continued.

"I was avenging my fallen comrades, and protecting the Living World from Hollows. Every one of your kind that I killed probably saved lives and I am proud of each victory." Ashido defiantly answered.

"So you aren't here to spy on us, rather you are just doing your duty as a Shinigami?" the boy muttered out, loud enough for the bound man to hear.

"Spy on who? You monsters don't have anything to spy on. Hell I am surprised that you are even capable of organizing enough of a unit to capture me."

"Heh yeah there are quite a few of my comrades who are not the most… tactically minded individuals." Ichigo responded.

 _***SoD***_

"Wait what the hell does he mean by that? IS HE CALLING ME DUMB!? CAUSE I SWEAR I WILL HIT HIM SO HARD THAT, THAT, WELL HE WILL REGRET IT!" Yammy shouted out, smashing the table with his fists in anger, and gaining an annoyed expression from the other Espada.

"Actually Yammy he never specifically mentioned you, which just means that you admitted you are the weak link in terms of strategic skill." Ulquiorra corrected, earning a grumble from the ogre-like Espada.

 _***SoD***_

"Now the big question Kano-San. If you could survive this situation you find yourself in, what would you do with your life?" Ichigo asked in a completely serious tone.

"I think that, I would like to go back to the Soul Society. See what has changed since I have been there. Try and make a difference without having to use my blade. Maybe become a teacher." The Shinigami answered in a subdued tone.

"Interesting, well that is all I wanted to know Kano-San I will be back for now just try and relax." Ichigo answered, before sliding his chair over and helping the injured man into it. He then left the room to report his findings and receive further orders.

 _***SoD***_

"A very informative talk Ichigo well done, I would like to know how you knew that your technique would work though." Aizen questioned upon the boy's arrival.

"He didn't seem like a terrorist or spy to me, so I figured that just having a pleasant conversation might be the easiest way to get information." Ichigo answered with a shrug.

"Interesting, so based on your short assessment what do you think we should do with him? You are my top Espada after all so I greatly value your input on this." The ex-Captain inquired.

"I say send him back to Soul Society." The Arrancar answered in finality, causing Aizen to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"WHAT!? You are just going to let that Shinigami trash go?" Nnoitra shouted out in outrage.

"He's not a threat to us. In fact, I would say he is below average lieutenant level. Since he was blindfolded he would have no usable Intel to give the Seireitei besides the fact that Hollows have become organized and have some type of fortress. Besides I doubt he has any inclination to participate in any more combat than he already has been involved in." Ichigo's response only gained a growl from Nnoitra and Yammy.

"Very well Ichigo, I will follow your suggestion and have him sent back into the Rukongai via Garganta as soon as possible." Aizen spoke with finality, "However now that this issue has been resolved I have one other one for you specifically to take care of. You see there is a group of spiritually empowered humans in the World of the Living that I would like you to keep out of the approaching conflict. Since you are the best stealth asset I possess and you have the most in common with humans still I would like you to approach them, ascertain their motives, and do what is necessary to ensure their neutrality."

"Of course Aizen-Sama, I will depart at once." Ichigo replied.

"Very well, we will prepare a Garganta for the Living World after dinner. Until then we have a training session to attend to. Tousen, would you please escort our captive back to the Soul Society." After receiving a nod of confirmation from the dark skinned man he dismissed the Arrancar.

 _***SoD***_

The rest of Ichigo's day was spent between observing sparing matches, Aizen had insisted he not participate due to his upcoming mission and he needed to be at his peak, and simply spending time with his comrades.

The only thing that was slightly bothering him was the fact that Harribel had been staring at him throughout the day, at times he was sure that she was doing it just to provoke a reaction. Finally, he confronted the Espada about her newfound habit.

"Is there something wrong Harribel? You have been staring at me periodically throughout the day and I am not sure if I have offended you, but if I have I assure you that was not my intent." The teenager asked after taking her aside to a private location.

"No you have not offended me Ichigo, I am just feeling a bit anxious I suppose." The dark skinned woman replied.

"Okay… what are you feeling anxious about?"

"The future I suppose, don't worry about it Ichigo, you will see soon enough." With that the blonde haired Espada walked away, leaving a confused boy behind.

 _***SoD***_

After dinner Ichigo met his commander at the gates of Las Noches for a final briefing before he would depart for his mission. Along with Aizen stood Gin, Tousen, Szayel, Stark, Harribel, Nelliel, and Ulquiorra.

"Here is a small packet of information I have prepared for you Ichigo, it includes the members of the group known as 'Xcution' and how to locate them. I do have one more question before you leave though." Aizen commented, and upon receiving a nod of confirmation from the Espada in question continued. "As you may well know we monitor all Garganata activity from Las Noches, but the day you went missing there was no unauthorized uses, how exactly were you able to return to the World of the Living without detection?"

With his question all of those in attendance turned a curious gaze to the boy.

"Same as anyone else would I suppose Aizen-Sama, I walked." Ichigo said with a shrug of his shoulders, before skimming over the packet of information and heading towards the Garganta that Szayel had created nearby.

"Oh Ichigo, before you depart, I have one last thing to give to you." The rebel leader called out before handing Ichigo a strange looking cube like device, and after a whispered exchange between the two Ichigo nodded.

"If that is all Aizen-Sama I will get going. The sooner I am done the sooner I can come back after all." With that the Espada disappeared into the void-like tunnel to begin his second journey to the Human World.

"Oh my my my, that boy sure does like to avoid questions doesn't he Captain Aizen?" Gin said, breaking the silence that had formed after the departure.

"Quite, but back to the matter at hand, all Espada are dismissed for the evening. Gin and Tousen, I would like a word with you two about the future plans for our invasion." Aizen commanded, before disappearing in a flash of Shunpo, followed closely by his two lieutenants.

"What do you think that is about?" Stark muttered, more to himself than any of the others present, and noticed that Szayel had already left the scene.

"Hard to say, but I would imagine it has something to do with my actions during the sparring session while Ichigo was on his mission. He is probably calling into question my loyalty." Ulquiorra responded, his usual monotone in full force.

"If that's true, we might need to look into a 'plan B' for the future." Harribel spoke up, gaining the attention, and nods, of her companions.

 _***SoD***_

"Now then my two lieutenants we have a bit of a situation on our hands with our top Espada. You are both aware of the actions that Ulquiorra took during the training session several days ago. He directly disobeyed a standing order and moved to protect Nelliel without my command to do so. If this were another Espada I would just call it usual defiance. The problem is that Ulquiorra has been one of the most zealous Espada to date and for him to directly defy me is a bit troubling." The former Captain of the fifth Division discussed with his two Shinigami followers.

"I believe you are correct Lord Aizen this is most troubling. Imagine if the four Espada and their Fraccion were to join with Ichigo and form their own rebellion. This close to the eve of war the results would be disastrous." Tousen replied, his face taking on an expression of anxiety.

"Eh you over think everything Kaname. Just because the boy has some close friends who happened to be a bit freer thinking doesn't mean they are going to rebel, besides they would have nothing to gain from it besides weakening themselves for the eventual confrontation. Soul Society is never going to let them just live in peace, even if they stab us in the back." Gin analyzed with his normal creepy grin forming.

"As much as I would like to take Gin's optimistic view on the situation I can't allow this to go unanswered. Despite my original wish for Ichigo to obtain a group of loyal followers I never intended them to choose him over my orders. Perhaps a test of loyalty is in order?" Aizen finished as a devious smile of his own formed on his face.

 _***SoD***_

As Ichigo stepped out of the Garganta above Naruki City he took in a deep breath of fresh air. Truly one of the things he missed most about the Human World was the purity of the air. It felt like all of Hueco Mundo and Las Noches was contaminated by the senseless violence and despair that Hollows brought with them from their past lives.

The night was cool and crisp, another stark reminder of the difference between where he was born and where he now lived. Las Noches was kept at a fairly consistent temperature and Hueco Mundo remained the same season as far as the young boy could tell.

Closing his eyes Ichigo focused his senses, and quickly found his targets. Without the spiritually enriched air and the various powerful signatures it was almost too easy to locate those with higher than human level power. With his direction set Ichigo departed, making his way quickly across the city. Rather than go all out the boy decided to take a bit of time to just remember the years he spent as a normal human.

The sights and sounds of the human world, along with its normal occupants was a clear reminder of what he had given up, and in some cases lost, in his life.

But what he had gained seemed even greater now than before.

Arriving at the series of apartments the Espada reached up and knocked casually on the door. Despite the fact that he could have just ripped the door off the hinge or made a separate hole the Espada decided to try and be civilized, to avoid any unnecessary conflict with the group.

A few moments later a tall older looking man with a patch over his right eye answered the door and gazed at the younger man curiously.

"Can I help you?" The man asked somewhat in a monotone manner.

'Jeeze and I thought Zommari was dull' Ichigo thought with a sweat drop. "Uh yeah I was here to talk with Kugo."

The man studied Ichigo for a moment before ushering him inside and closing the door behind them. Once inside Ichigo was brought into a large room that looked like a nightclub with a bar.

"Ginjo-Sama it appears you have a visitor, a mister…" The older man began, before realizing he had never obtained the boys name.

"Kuro" Ichigo finished, trying to keep his name out of the conversation as per Aizen's recommendation.

"Well Kuro-San what brings you to our humble abode? I can't say that I recall ever meeting you before but you are definitely not a normal human, hell I can't really tell what you are, with your lack of spiritual energy." The man, who Ichigo identified as Kugo Ginjo from his picture, replied.

"I am here on behalf of Aizen Sosuke. He is sure that you are aware of the upcoming war between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society and he wishes to know where you stand in this conflict." Ichigo answered, glancing around at the sudden shift in mood throughout the room.

"Oh I am aware I do still have my sources in Soul Society after all. I am the only official Substitute Shinigami to ever exist." The man bragged.

"Well Aizen-Sama would like to know if you would join our forces against the Court Guard. He is aware that you have no love for the Shinigami and if you agree to fight by our side then we can help you fulfill your revenge."

"Is that so? Well the problem is that although I might not like the Soul Society I sure as hell don't trust Aizen worth shit. He is a Shinigami and is probably the most manipulative of all the bastards there. So I guess our answer is 'piss off'." Kugo finished with finality before giving a shooing motion to the young man.

"I am sorry to hear that, but as long as you remain neutral in the war then I have no real issue one way or the other." Turning toward the door Ichigo made his way to leave before Kugo called out to him.

"Actually I just thought of something, although we have no real interest in your war I suppose we should be planning for the future. On the off chance that Aizen does win I would like to have a spy in his army, Shukuro if you would?" At his prompt a pale man with long black hair leapt forward, a sword forming from a bookmark that he had been holding.

Swinging downward the man went to cut the boy with his Fullbring, only to find his target had easily dodged the attack.

Ichigo quickly moved to the side of the man with an annoyed expression on his face as he put some distance between the two, remembering Aizen's warning about their powers.

"I would suggest you call off your dog Kugo. I am not here to start a war but you can be sure that I will end one if you decide to be foolish. Aizen-Sama simply ordered for you to be kept out of the war, but made sure to mention that I am permitted to eliminate all of you should it be necessary." The teenager growled out as he kept his eyes on the other members as well.

"Is that a fact, well if you are so important to Aizen then maybe we should eliminate you to send a message to your master. The human world now has another competing faction, and that is Xcution!" The Fullbring leader declared before signaling the other members to prepare for combat.

"Very well, I do hope you realize what you have brought on yourselves though." The Arrancar muttered before taking out the device that Aizen had given him and tossed it into the air after pressing a single button located on the top.

"What's that some trick to help you win?" A pink haired girl laughed out.

"No, just a device Aizen-Sama gave to me before I came here in case something like this should occur. Essentially it seals off the area, preventing those who die inside of its range from journeying to the afterlife. Instead they are destroyed and sent through the wheel of reincarnation. Aizen didn't want a battle to result in all of you reappearing in Soul Society to join up with our enemies after all." After Ichigo's explanation most of the individuals in the room went wide-eyed at the device, suddenly wondering if this was such a good idea.

"Not like it will matter, we will end this battle before it even begins…" The butler looking man was suddenly interrupted as Ichigo appeared behind him in a flash of Sonido, and cut the man in two horizontally.

"Yeah sorry, Aizen-Sama warned me about your abilities, I was told to finish this fight as quickly as possible. I really wanted to avoid this but all it would be doing is prolonging the inevitable." Ichigo spoke out in a monotone before vanishing again in a burst of Sonido.

This time Ichigo appeared in front of the young blond haired boy. Reaching out he crushed the boy's game controlled with his left hand before dodging another slash by Shukuro, then an energy burst that had been fired by Kugo while he had been in midair.

As he spun his body the Espada grabbed on to Shukuro's shoulder and, using it as leverage, flipped the young man into the ground with enough force to crack the floor.

As he landed Ichigo spun his torso, narrowly dodging a thrust by the Xcution leader. Before the Arrancar slammed his fist into the man's stomach, causing him to cough up blood in response. Following up the Cero Espada quickly grabbed the man's face and tossed him into a wall across the room, again cracking the wall and leaving a large indent.

Glancing back Ichigo eyed the two women who had yet to even move into the battle.

"Uh you know what I am totally okay with not getting involved in this. I am fine with just staying neutral, right Jackie?" The pinkette stuttered out, a look of fear deep in her eyes.

"More than fine with it. There is no reason for us to get involved in this war, especially with how powerful each side truly is." The dark skinned woman, now confirmed as 'Jackie' agreed, before taking both the other girl and the younger boy by the hands and leading them outside.

"You should listen to them you know, this won't end well for either of you." Ichigo called out, as Kugo and Shukuro managed to recover from the damage, albeit both looked severely bruised.

"Bah what the hell do you know? We are just getting started. Just because you caught us by surprise doesn't mean that you can win." The Fullbring leader shouted back.

"Agreed, I will enjoy watching his mind break when we are through with him." The man's partner agreed as they once again charged Ichigo, swords already in motion.

This time though the boy had enough.

Without so much as a shift in posture the Espada charged a crimson Cero in front of him and fired it instantly. Kugo had seen the attacking coming in time to dodge it. But his ally was not as lucky and was instead caught in the blast, completely blowing away everything from the waist up.

Using the destruction and dust caused by the attack as a smoke screen Kugo appeared behind the Espada and attempted to decapitate him, only for his intended victim to spin around and grab the man by the wrist.

"You didn't even try to warn him." Ichigo analyzed in a cold tone. "Do you even care that he died?"

"If it means my victory why should I? There is only the strong and the weak in this world. The strong grow more powerful and the weak die, it is just that simple."

"If you think that then allow me to enforce this idea on you." The teen growled out, before pulling the man in slightly, and cutting off his hand.

The Fullbringer cried out in pain and surprise as he stumbled backwards, trying to stop the flow of blood from his arm.

"How do you feel now Kugo? Do you feel powerful? Do you feel strong? The truth of the matter is that true strength comes from those who support you, not from yourself. Without my friends and allies I would never have reached the level I am at now, and I doubt you would be anywhere close to your current level without those you have so ruthlessly abandoned. The only consolation you may have now is that you won't need to look those you have betrayed in the eyes to explain yourself. There is no afterlife for you, only oblivion." With that Ichigo lunged forward and impaled his opponent through the heart on his blade, making sure that the life faded from the disgraceful man's eyes before retracting his sword and sheathing it once more.

As he left, the now crumbling, building Ichigo caught sight of the last three members of the group.

"You should probably leave this place, I don't know if there are any Shinigami who patrol this city but if there are they will most certainly have felt the battle and either investigate or call in reinforcements." Ichigo commented before walking off down an empty street.

"Why?" Jackie called out after a moment, causing the boy to stop and glance back. "Why did you kill them but let us go without a fight?"

"Because I am tired of fighting, tired of killing, tired of the conflicts, and of the hatred. Now I just want there to be peace. None of those three would have ever allowed that to happen, I could see it in their eyes. But you three still have a chance to change. Don't give into the hatred that has consumed so many others." With that Ichigo vanished from sight, leaving the three surviving Fullbringers alone, and contemplating what they should do next.

 _***SoD***_

Ulquiorra strode into the conference room after being summoned by his leader. Immediately he noticed several other figures in the room with him.

"Greetings Ulquiorra, I am glad to see that you have arrived on such short notice. I have a mission that I wish for you and several others involving another faction in the Human World that could present problems during our eventual conflict with the Shinigami." Aizen called out, as he gestured to an empty seat.

"I have placed Tousen in charge of the task and he has chosen you, Zommari, and Grimmjow as his team. You are all to follow his orders and remove the threat posed by this group tonight. One more thing, Ichigo Kurosaki will be in the area for his mission. I expect no attempts to make contact with him. He is on his own mission and will not be there to provide any kind of support to you nor are you to interfere with his. If that is all Tousen will finish your briefing on the way to the objective, dismissed." With that the dark skinned Shinigami gestured for the three Espada to follow him toward a recently opened Garganta.

As the four ran through the dark tunnel Tousen finished his explanation.

"The target is a group of nine human-like beings. They are former creations of the Soul Society and possess rather unique abilities. While they may not seem like a threat their presence could prove to be quite irritating if they join with our enemies. Normally we would try to have them join us, what with our common hatred and all, but I fear that even if this comes to pass they will eventually betray us. Thus our task of 'neutralization' is to eliminate them entirely."

Grimmjow gained an enthusiastic smirk on his face while Zommari simply nodded, as stoic as ever. Ulquiorra felt a bit of unease though.

'Why would our first plan be to simply kill them if there was a chance that they would join us? Why were we explicitly forbidden from contacting Ichigo? Most importantly why is Tousen leading this strike force?' The pale man pondered.

 _***SoD***_

As the group arrived in the World of the Living Ulquiorra immediately scanned the area for all potential threats. He quickly determined several above human level. Two were fairly decent sized groups and a few individuals.

"It appears that there are two units in the nearby cities. One that seems more Hollow-like and the other which is far better concealed and seems to be a bit more of a human and Shinigami mix." Ulquiorra informed his commander, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Very good, our target is the Shinigami-like group. As I understand it Ichigo is taking care of the other as we speak. Now then here is the plan…" Tousen replied as he went on to explain his strategy to the other three.

 _***SoD***_

"Now that the barrier is up, preventing Soul Society from observing our battle, we can begin the attack." Tousen declared after setting up a device created by Szayel for this mission.

"Ulquiorra please locate the largest concentrations of energy in the mansion." The Ex-Captain politely asked, as the Espada focused in on the building.

"Three major concentrations of at least two signatures each, one in the large main room, one in the North East corner ground floor, and the last on the South East corner top floor." The pale man spoke out a moment later, receiving a nod from his temporary leader.

"Very well then, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra you both know what to do. Zommari, prepare for your part."

'The command has been given, orders are to be followed, and soldiers must fall in line. That is the essence of war. I have never debated or even thought about this up until now, so why is it that I suddenly question the need or desire to follow instructions? Why do I suddenly have the desire to just leave, to take my friends and leave this conflict behind entirely? To find a place out of the way and just live in peace, like these poor souls should have been trying to do but failed to accomplish.' The fourth Espada pondered, as he and the blue haired Espada next to him cut their fingers, and charged their Gran Rey Ceros.

Laughing maniacally Grimmjow fired his attack at the main ground floor chamber, while Ulquiorra had cut a finger on each hand to hit the other two locations at the same time.

The result was utter devastation.

The three rooms exploded instantly, debris flying into the air and igniting the lawn along with other parts of the mansion in the process. The plume of smoke rose higher and thicker into the sky with each passing moment, obscuring the moon from view as an artificial darkness fell on the land, broken only by the roaring inferno that illuminated the immediate area, causing strange shadows to dance wildly through the night.

Suddenly the enemy struck back, four figures shot from the burning building and joined the Arrancar forces already in the sky.

Though they were injured, and covered in soot, Ulquiorra was easily able to make out the target's identities; Jin Kariya, Ryo Utagawa, Go Koga, and Yoshi.

The four quickly summoned their Dolls and prepared to join battle with Aizen's forces, Kariya shouting wildly about avenging their comrades and that "both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo will burn for this atrocity!"

Ulquiorra thought it was amusing, in a sickening way, that their leader swore vengeance when it was his own actions that lead to their current predicament. Rather than staying out of the conflict they had shoved their way into the middle of it.

Tousen just gave a nod, to the monk-like Arrancar, who had shifted into his release form prior to the attack, to begin his part of the plan.

With a shout of "Amor!" several of Zommari's symbols appeared on all but one of the summoned Dolls, Kariya had been fast enough to avoid the attack.

Then the slaughter began.

The woman's sword swung back faster than she could react, cutting deeply into her chest through her shoulder. Blood immediately began pouring out.

Koga's eyes widened in surprise when the metallic sphere, previously floating in his hand, broke into several smaller projectiles and pierced through his stomach and chest, causing him to cough up blood and attempt to retreat.

Ryo found himself entangled, a snake quickly wrapping around his hands and then his throat as he began gasping for breath. Unfortunately it was too late. The venom that his snake immediately sprayed on his face began melting his features as he cried out in pain.

As the horror unfolded the leader of the Bounts quickly analyzed the attack, and found that it was Zommari controlling his companion's weapons. Acting with haste he shot forward to attack the, currently stationary, Espada before being intercepted and knocked toward the ground by an ecstatic Grimmjow.

"Oh come on let our friends have their fun, I have been itching for a good fight for months now and you look like someone who can give me one!" the crazed man shot towards his opponent, who fired a burst of wind toward him in retaliation.

Instead of dodging out of the way, like the white haired man had predicted, the Arrancar charged through the assault and swung his Zanpakuto towards his opponent.

 _***SoD***_

As the two warriors battled, and the others struggled against their own powers, Tousen motioned for Ulquiorra.

"Are there any more signatures alive in the mansion?" The Shinigami inquired.

"There appears to be two small ones, but they are very weak. I would say that they are currently unable to fight in their condition and pose no threat to us." Ulquiorra replied.

'Strange that I should make a case to ignore two potential enemies and simply let them live.' The Espada mused, but was brought out of his thoughts by the officer.

"Regardless I would like you to go and terminate them. Though this may seem cruel it is for the peace of the future. Leaving enemies behind to recover and enlist additional soldiers to their cause will only continue the cycle of war and death that we are trying to end."

The Arrancar could only nod and Sonido down to the burning remains.

Entering the building slowly he found his two targets, much to his dismay.

Two small boys lay heavily injured underneath a piece of fallen ceiling. One was unconscious and the other was trying to reach for what appeared to be a bottle cap that had fallen just out of his reach.

Ulquiorra walked up to the struggling boy, and gently pushed the object further away from him, as if telling him that he had indeed lost.

"You think we are going to lose here monster? You are wrong, Kariya will kill all of you and then destroy Soul Society, and we will have our revenge for what we went through!" the boy shouted trying to flail at the man in a rage.

"All of this for revenge, and then what? Even if you do manage to win what will be left? Corpses and destruction with no end in sight. That is why you lost here today you have no plans for what will occur after the war is over. Your ambitions were nothing but petty revenge. That is a child's reaction to being wronged. Children need guidance to preserve the future that they will grow into, rather than destroy it for something that they want in the present." Ulquiorra scoffed at the boy, before raising his finger and creating a small green orb of energy to float in the air. Turning to leave he gave one last glance back and then departed.

A moment later the Cero Granada detonated.

 _***SoD***_

Grimmjow was having the time of his life.

This Jin Kariya guy was fun as hell to fight! First it had been a bit one sided, with the Espada whooping the poor sap's ass all over the battlefield but then the bastard started to learn the Arrancar's moves and began putting up a decent fight. Currently they were matching blow for blow, with the seventh Espada having the slight advantage due to Hierro and regeneration.

Kariya growled in annoyance as he turned to his newest technique. A blade of electricity emerged from his Doll as he dashed towards his opponent, intent on killing this Arrancar and then avenging his comrades. Then he would invade Soul Society by himself if he had to, and bathe in the blood of the Shinigami who tried to kill his race so many times.

A quick slash from the white haired Bount gave his opponent a nasty chest wound before he was blown back with a gust of wind. Grumbling Grimmjow rolled to the side to avoid a finishing stab and returned to the battle, realizing that he would be soon forced into his Resurreccion in order to finish the battle, something that Tousen had said to avoid if possible. But to hell with orders, the Espada had never followed them before so why start now?

Pulling his sword back Grimmjow placed his left hand on the blade, preparing to release his full power.

 _***SoD***_

"Ulquiorra," Tousen called out, gaining the Espada's attention as the two observed the fight between the blue haired Espada and the Bount leader. "I believe it is time to intervene, Lord Aizen was most specific when he said to only release if it was absolutely necessary and this certainly does not qualify. We have stayed in this world far too long and the cloaking device will be running out of power soon."

"Very well," The fourth Espada replied, before disappearing in a blur of Sonido.

Appearing directly behind the white haired man the pale Arrancar impaled him with his right hand, directly in the center of his chest. It was a move that Ulquiorra admitted was always a favorite of his.

As the Bount cried out in pain and shock, before the sounds turned to a sickening gurgle as blood pooled from his mouth, his original opponent frowned in annoyance.

"What the hell Ulquiorra, that guy was mine and you know it!" he shouted out.

"Commander Tousen has ordered us back to Hueco Mundo, you were not supposed to need your Resurreccion and our cloaking device is running out of time." The shorter man answered simply, before turning back and opening a Garganta in the sky.

"It is time to leave, come along Zommari." Tousen commanded as he entered the portal, followed by the three Espada, Zommari having returned to his normal state after his victims' demise.

 _***SoD***_

After everyone's return, and the debriefing, Ichigo found himself relaxing in the room that had unofficially become his and the other four Espada's personal lounge. At first it had been just him and Stark, sitting in a peaceful and relaxing silence until Ulquiorra had entered with the two females, and had cleared his throat to gain the other occupants attention.

"As some of you are most likely aware I was brought on a mission earlier tonight with Tousen, Grimmjow, and Zommari. We were sent to eliminate another faction in the Human World that was deemed a threat by Aizen." The Espada paused to choose his next words carefully. "Normally this would not be strange, save for the fact that Tousen was leading the unit, but we were specifically ordered not to make contact with Ichigo, who I was informed would be in a nearby city. I was also ordered to execute several defeated opponents during the battle. I believe that the mission itself had two objectives, the first was to get rid of the 'Bounts' and the second was to test my loyalty. I assume that Aizen is concerned that we will choose to follow and protect Ichigo and each other over his orders."

"Well that's ridiculous of course I would choose all of you and Ichigo." Nelliel stated, as if the answer were obvious.

"I believe that is what he is afraid of, that we would leave his forces or betray him if Ichigo asked us to." Harribel stated.

"The question is would we?" Stark replied for the first time in the conversation, earning a pause of silence in the room.

"I would never ask any of you to choose between your allegiances and our friendship. I hope you all know that." Ichigo suddenly spoke up, earning a shocked expression from the others.

"And I hope you realize that we would choose you over Aizen any day of the week if it came to that, or at least I would. I don't want to speak for the others." Harribel replied, her answer earning nods from the other three Espada.

"My only concern then is what Aizen is planning. It is obvious now that he questions our loyalties and if he deemed Ichigo a threat of any kind before he will be plotting against him even more so now." The Primera analyzed.

"I think we should do some plotting of our own then, figure out which other Fraccion or Espada would join us should battle lines be drawn. Most importantly we need a plan for when this is all over. It became painfully aware to me during my mission that many of those we are up against have no real goals other than to win. This does not sit well with me." The pale Arrancar stated, while the others simply agreed.

 _***SoD***_

"Oh my Ichigo, it seems you have quite the following going on, if this continues we might be looking at a civil war should we emerge victorious. I wonder how Captain Aizen will react to this when he finds out." Gin said with a grin as he curiously watched the interactions between the five friends from the control room of Las Noches.

 _***SoD***_

As the group said their goodnights and ventured off into their separate rooms Nelliel gave Ichigo a sly grin before kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Try not to wear yourself out too much tonight Ichigo, after all we have training early tomorrow morning." The green haired woman said in a low lustful tone.

"Should I be expecting you later then?" Ichigo smirked back.

"Oh let's just say you will be pleasantly surprised this evening." Nelliel stated before heading into her room, giggling the entire way.

Ichigo just shrugged and headed for his own room. He would have expected himself to be worn out after another stressful day but surprisingly he found himself sitting on his balcony staring up at the sky, unable to fall asleep in the least bit.

Around a half an hour later there was a knocking at the entrance to his room, curious Ichigo went to answer.

As he opened the door he found Harribel pressed into him, her lips smothering his own and her tongue already in his mouth.

Fighting for air, and taken completely by surprise, Ichigo managed to break the hold to in order to clear his mind for a moment, before stammering in surprise.

"Harribel? Wh-what are you doing?"

He was answered by the woman shoving him back onto his bed.

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Aizen sat up in his bed and stretched. Everything had been going perfectly so far. Ichigo was a powerful weapon on his side of the war, the Espada were stronger than ever, Soul Society was barely holding together its various fragile alliances, and he had more information on the Captains than ever before. Yes it was truly a glorious war thus far.

Getting out of bed he walked into his personal living room, only to stop dead in his tracks.

Not only was the ENTIRE room pink, and that means everything from the walls to the furniture, but he had just caught Gin tiptoeing for the exit, clad in nothing but a bra and female leopard print panties.

The two made eye contact.

Silence reigned through the room for what felt like an eternity before the former Fifth Division Captain slowly back stepped his way into his bedroom, shut the door, and securely locked it.

 _***SoD***_

Gin on the other hand had been just as confused when he had woken up, clothed in nothing but woman's clothing and sleeping on Aizen's couch.

He was sure that he had gone to sleep in his own room, and the last time he had been sleep walking was when he was a child.

Resolving that it was just some strange night terror he made his way quickly back to his own room. Only to discover that _all_ of his clothing had been replaced with various female outfits instead.

 _***SoD***_

Stark woke up very pleasantly, glancing around the room, and noticing nothing out of the ordinary, he got up and dressed in his usual attire, only to find a somewhat confused look on Lillynette's face when he opened his door.

"Is something wrong?" the Espada asked his Fraccion in curiosity.

"Stark, what is fellatio?" the girl asked.

Stark's face turned three different colors before he hit the ground, passed out.

 _***SoD***_

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning Ichigo." Harribel smiled, as she drew small circles on his bare chest, while he gently rubbed her bare back.

"Oh I am, for several reasons. Number one is you here with me, number two last night of course, and number three well let's just say that it isn't a good idea to mock someone who can completely conceal their spiritual energy." The boy answered with a smirk.

 _***SoD***_

Three weeks later all of the Espada, Fraccion, Privaron Espada, and Shinigami officers were gathered in a very large room of Las Noches.

"Everyone, it is time to end this war. We have been preparing for this battle for over a month now. We have studied their weaknesses and perfected our strengths. Now is the time for the Soul Society to fear us, it is our time to rise and theirs to fall. Now let us proceed to our glorious destiny." Aizen Commanded as he stepped through the Garganta with his two lieutenants at his flank.

As the Gargantas opened above the Seireitei Aizen stepped out into the open sky, taking a deep breath in memory of all the time he had spent there.

Looking back he saw his army gathered, confident that they would emerge victorious.

Looking forward he saw the entire officer Corps of the Soul Society, all of the Vizard, and the four exiles standing against him, the same confidence in their own eyes.

It was time for war.

 _***A/N***_

Holy crap, I didn't actually expect this chapter to be this long. I was originally thinking it would be too short but then I couldn't find a good place to cut it into two so I just figured eh what the heck and rolled with it. I am fairly proud of the results. Also next chapter begins the actual fighting… YAY!

A couple of issues that various reviews and PM's have been asking about were resolved, I hope to everyone's satisfaction. Quite frankly I never pictured the Bounts or the Fullbringers to join Aizen they seemed too caught up in their own crap to do so.

I promise that the "action scenes" will be better in the next few chapters, I didn't know much about the Bounts or the Fullbringers and I figured that they would be eliminated fairly quickly, considering neither is terribly powerful and were based more on tricking and using strange powers than raw force.

A shout out to ' **Guest** ' who posted like 10 reviews, thank you for those. I usually try and PM responses but obviously I can't to you, so to answer your question: I never really considered Aizen as the harem type; he seems too contained and proper to be in a sexual relationship, especially one like that.

 **To RG-Guest:** Part 1- We currently know that the twelfth knows about various Bankais not a huge leap to assume he was pulling a batman and just gathering info on everyone.

2- That does clear things up a bit more. I have no intention of them returning. I am trying to avoid the whole 'dbz' affect that death is just 'eh' and people come back so easily. That and I feel like it would be cheating Ichigo if everything he went through was just thrown out.

3- I have been trying to explore other characters a bit more, but strangely I feel like Tousen is a bigger sociopath than Gin. After all Tousen actually tries to kill his former friend and lieutenant while Gin only really engages Hiyori, and in such a way that she survives possibly protecting her from Aizen. I have no idea about Squad 0 yet to be honest.

4- I haven't really considered using Zanpakuto as a key component, mainly because the facts surrounding them change so freaking much it's hard to keep canon straight anymore. I will elaborate more if anyone wishes. Also as long as no one else has any complaints I am totally fine with long reviews, the more ideas, suggestions, and such you guys give me the more it helps. I have taken A LOT of suggestions from you guys and implemented where I could.

Again this chapter had sexual content that will be added to my Deviantart account, under the name "AngelSlayer40" just to avoid any headaches that might come from policies or certain users on the site.


	23. Pawns go First

**Shadows of Deceit**

Pawns go First

Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed, liked, followed, or read any of my stories.

***Yep still no ownership or $ made on Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

'I am getting way too old for this shit.' The Captain General thought in agitation as he thought back over the last few months.

First a member of a highly esteemed noble clan was arrested for transferring her powers to a human and after being judged was sentenced to death via the Sokyoku. Although this was odd who was he to question the Central 46?

Then the Seireitei was invaded by a bunch of human brats, apparently trying to rescue their friend. Fair enough, crap like this seems to happen all the time in the Soul Society no big deal.

This lead to the children, according to reports they were not even a mere twenty years old, starting to beat ranked Shinigami.

Next they defeated a lieutenant, okay that was just plain embarrassing and ridiculous. Back when he was that young there was no way in hell some kid who had acquired stolen powers for a few months would have won in a fight against him.

A few days later a Captain turns out dead, what the hell was going on!? It was like Kami himself was just trying to make the old man have a stroke. Next Captain Zaraki is defeated in single combat by one of the Ryoka, so much for being the strongest Captain that everyone is so damn terrified of.

Luckily after this the shit stopped hitting the fan. The lead Ryoka was captured, his friends were killed in combat, and the execution went off without a hitch.

Or so they thought.

Apparently the entire Central 46 had been massacred, the girl's execution done on purpose to extract some orb out of her soul, and to top it all off Aizen didn't even have the decency to stay dead!

Now the three traitorous bastards have the nerve to invade the Soul Society with an army of Hollow-Shingami hybrids, and that asshole has the nerve to just stroll in with the biggest smirk on his face as if he is just trying not to shout "HA HA FOOLED YOU!"

The bastard…

To make matters even worse, because let's just rub some more salt in the Seireitei's wounds while we are at it shall we, the other Captains voted on giving full pardons to the newly named 'Visored' in return for their assistance in the war.

Of course the agitation can't just end there and so Kisuke Urahara shows up, uninvited as always, with a group of traitor Shinigami, and because one previously thought dead, but surprise surprise isn't, Captain wasn't enough Isshin Shiba shows up and…

"Hey old man!" The previous tenth Division Captain shouted, ripping the commander from his thoughts. "Remember our deal, once Aizen and his lackeys are beaten you release my son from prison and pardon him completely."

"Yes, yes I am old not senile. I remember our deal and it shall be honored in full pending the traitor's defeat."

How he was going to explain to the Shiba that his son had gone missing well over a month ago was another topic on his mind lately.

Now where was he? Ah yes the exiles, the only reason he had accepted the annoyingly cheerful ex-Captains offer was that the Seireitei is apparently easier to break into than a convertible with the windows down. As was discovered when another ex-Captain, seems to be more of those than Captains all of a sudden, and at least one other Arrancar snuck into the fortress-like Seireitei and proceeded to demolish the entire SRDI.

After the miniature invasion the commander had even gone so far as to contact the Royal Guard, hoping that they might be able to spare a member or two. Their response had been everything from questioning his capabilities to outright laughing at the fact that he couldn't stop three former Captains.

But there would be time to sort all of that out later, now was the time for action. Their home had been invaded and their enemies had made a very grave mistake challenging the replenished officer corps on their home turf.

 _***SoD***_

"Now then, we shall begin this war as we have planned it." Aizen declared in a commanding voice to the Arrancar gathered around him. "First the Fraccion will be lead by the Privaron Espada against the lieutenants. Should the Captains move to aid or intercept then we will engage them accordingly, remember to keep your opponent in mind and do not underestimate their strength."

With that the various lower ranked Arrancar began move forward, only to be met with the non-Captain class Shinigami charging to meet them.

As the two groups neared each other they slowed their progression and arrived in scattered battle formations to try and get a read on their opponents.

 _***SoD***_

"Right so here is the plan, Iba, Hisagi, Kira, and Mashiro will attack the center. This will give us a good indicator of who their front line combatants are and who is less durable. Then I will lead a flanking maneuver around to attack…" Chojiro began before being interrupted by the blonde Visored.

"Hey who the hell do you think you are ordering us around? Just because you have seen fit to acknowledge the fact that we aren't a bunch of traitors doesn't mean we are following your orders. We are here to kick Aizen's ass and any Hollow wannabe that gets in our way."

"Hiyori, we are not here to antagonize our allies. I think we should at least hear out the first lieutenant's plan before we dismiss it." Lisa scolded as she turned her attention to the other Visored.

"She does bring up a good point though, who is in charge of this little skirmish? Cause I feel like it should be the strongest one here and I sure as hell don't think it's you Sasakibe." Ikkaku remarked with a twisted smile. "Of course if you want to see which of us is better I would be more than happy to fight you."

"Hey guys come on there is no reason to."

"I think a woman should be in charge, you macho meatheads can't seem to think straight."

"What was that? Listen here you…"

"Hey don't be mean to her cue ball she brings up a good point."

"Well I think Hachi should be in charge since he's really smart."

"Well in that case Nanao is the best choice."

As the 'conversation' continued it quickly escalated to the point where all of the lieutenant class Shinigami were simply arguing with each other, the volume of this increasing steadily until it turned into a shouting match, causing many of their opponents to look between each other in a confused manner.

Meanwhile their respective Captains could only shake their heads in embarrassment.

 _***SoD***_

"You know they do raise a good point." Di Roy casually stated, earning him a glare from several other Arrancar. "Who is in charge for our force after all? I mean it should be the strongest one here but that is kind of up for debate right now."

"Well it sure as hell would not be you, if anyone it would be one of us since we serve the true God of Hueco Mundo." Choe Neng stated, gesturing toward his fellow Fraccion.

"Well your Espada isn't in charge here so I don't think you should be either." Cirucci replied as she glared at the Arrancar.

"Oh yeah well who died and put you in charge princess?"

"It's going to be you who is the dead one if you don't watch your tone."

"Let's see you try it!"

"I'm with her I think one of the Privaron should be the leader."

"Yeah well no one asked you."

Soon the Arrancar force devolved into various arguments and threats of violence as well.

 _***SoD***_

"Oh my my my, it seems as though the initial skirmish will end up being between internal struggles rather than us versus them like you originally intended Captain Aizen." Gin stated with a chuckle. Aizen could only sigh and rub his temples in annoyance, quickly feeling a headache approaching.

"I don't know whether to be glad or worried that Ichigo isn't here to see this. Part of me feels that he would know of a solution, while the other half of me is getting the impression he would have the biggest smirk on his face watching our 'loyal followers' bicker amongst each other." Harribel muttered out, knowing that Aizen had commanded Ichigo and Wonderweiss to stay behind and wait for the signal to enter the battle, although she wasn't quite sure as to why.

"You got that right the only bright side to this is that their team broke down into chaos before ours did. I guess that counts as a point for our side?" Stark questioned in a stoic tone.

 _***SoD***_

"ENOUGH!" Lillynette and Hiyori suddenly shouted at the same time, immediately ending all of the arguments.

Both girls glanced around in a somewhat agitated way until they spotted each other, and then growled at the same time.

"Oh that bitch is mine!" Hiyori angrily remarked, as she charged full speed toward her opponent, who promptly kicked her away from the groups and shot after her just as quickly.

For a few moments none of the Shinigami or Arrancar moved, both sides still a bit stunned at what had just happened, then most simply gave a shrug and charged forward, resulting in a massive chaotic melee.

 _***SoD***_

"Well so much for strategy and tactic." Tousen remarked blandly.

Just as the battle had begun, a large cage of fire formed over the three ex-Captains, trapping them inside.

" _Jokaku Enjo_ " Yamamoto declared, having released his Zanpakuto moments earlier. "That should hold those three for long enough to resolve this conflict."

He then turned his attention back towards the fight at hand, no longer fearing the three who he deemed to be the largest threat of the enemy's forces.

 _***SoD***_

"Hey Pesche?" Dondochakka asked, as he blocked another random blow in the midst of the battle. "Notice the bald guy and the chick with the funny eyebrows? Aren't those the two we are supposed to be looking for?"

"No we are looking for a bald guy and a guy with funny eyebrows, duh." His companion replied before slashing towards a random opponent, only for his blow to be dodged. "Hold on I will ask for directions, HEY BALD GUY!"

Immediately Ikkaku stopped, and slowly turned his head towards the Arrancar, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"YEAH YOU! HEY WHERE IS YOUR GUY FRIEND WITH THE FUNNY EYEBROWS?" Pesche screamed at the third seat.

"Did you just call me bald…" Ikkaku slowly edged out.

"Did he just call my eyebrows funny? AND I AM A GUY!" Yumichika declared with rage.

"LISTEN IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO TELL ME I GUESS WE CAN JUST DEAL WITH YOU INSTEAD, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT YOU AND YOUR FRIEND, WHEREEVER HE IS." Pesche continued shouting to the man, who was maybe ten feet away at the time.

"You do know they can hear you correct? There is no reason to shout." Sung-Sun corrected him with an annoyed tone.

"ALRIGHT YOU JERK LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE!" Ikakku shouted back, ignoring the rest of the glares he was receiving and Rangiku muttering something about "idiots".

Promptly the four combatants took off in two different directions, causing the other combatants to sweat drop before the Arrancar corrected their actions and followed the two Shinigami.

 _***SoD***_

Directly after the other group split off Mila Rose looked over towards Rangiku, and meeting her gaze gave a shrug before, calling out to her.

"Hey Shinigami, since the men on your team seem to be idiots, and I know the men on my team are idiots, what do you say that you and your ladies take on me and mine somewhere a bit less testosterone filled?"

Rangiku thought it sounded like a trap, before glancing over and noticing many of the men locking swords with each other and just trying to push each other around with "masculine" sounding grunts.

"Yeah that sounds good. Hey Momo grab Nanao and follow me, we are going to find a bit less crowded to continue this." Seeing the other girl nod in understanding the blonde took off away from the other fights, followed closely by the three Fraccion and the two other Shinigami.

 _***SoD***_

As the battle raged on in the centre stage between the remaining twelve Fraccion and the lieutenants it quickly became clear that the Shinigami, despite having fewer numbers, were slowly winning the battle.

Individually the officers were stronger, and more experienced with their weapons Add in the superior teamwork skills, and the differences were beginning to show.

"Bah enough of this, time to let loose boys!" Abirama declared, while glancing at the rest of Baraggan's Fraccion.

The entire group of remaining Arrancar quickly released their Resurreccion forms and began to overpower the Shinigami.

"What the hell is this bullshit! The briefing never said anything about them having the ability to transform!" Renji growled out as he was forced to dodge repeated attacks from Shawlong at close range, each one seemingly faster and more accurate than the last.

"Indeed then it is time we stop messing around as well!" Chojiro exclaimed before releasing his Shikai, prompting the other Shinigami to do the same and quickly evening the playing field.

 _***SoD***_

"I get to fight him!"

"No Ikkaku he is mine, there is no way he will make fun of my glorious eyes and escape my fury!"

"Like I give two shits about your eyes, he made fun of my head first!"

Pesche and Dondochakka could only stand by and watch curiously as their two "opponents" continued their argument on who was going to fight the Arrancar.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile the six female combatants continued their battle, fluidly dancing around each other's attacks and Kido spells in such a way that it almost looked like a beautiful dance rather than a deadly fight.

Rangiku and Momo had quickly released their Zanpakuto, trying to end the battle as quickly as possible to aid their outnumbered allies. This only led to release of their opponent's Resurreccion's, again balancing out the fight.

 _***SoD***_

In the centre battlefield blood had quickly been drawn with the release of Zanpakuto and Resurreccion, add in the chaos of having close to two dozen combatants in the same area and the consequences were inevitable.

Iba had fallen after a devastating punch by Poww. Who shortly thereafter was pulled apart by barriers provided by a Hollow Mask empowered Hachi.

Charlotte is sliced in half while fighting Yachiru, who simply did not have the patience to wait for the man to finish his ridiculously long attack command. Afterwards she also quickly cut down Vega who had forgotten about her ability to cut before and after her blade, catching him by surprise.

Abirama had taken to the sky, along with Findorr, to bombard their enemies into submission. It had worked at first, catching Izuru by surprise.

The attacks perforated the Shinigami combatant, who died instantly from his devastating wounds.

Afterwards Chojiro appeared behind the two aerial combatants in a blur of Shunpo, and impaled them both repeatedly using his rapier. They were dead before their bodies reached the ground.

Spinning quickly Chojiro barely managed to then block an attack from an Arrancar with a normal skull for a helmet, then another attack from his side by… the same opponent? Quickly Chojiro realized that a dozen of what appeared to be the same enemy were charging him at once, and looking behind he saw the cause of this. A single Arrancar who could spawn more at will.

 _***SoD***_

Finally the two members of Eleventh Division had decided on Ikkaku fighting Pesche and Yumichika battling Dondochakka. Much to the latter's annoyance after losing a match of 'rock, paper, and scissors'.

The battle had gone on fairly evenly matched, with Ikkaku having a slight advantage over Pesche due to the Arrancar's emphasis on teamwork skills.

Dondochakka was fairly even with his opponent that is until the two were separated from Ikkaku and Pesche which allowed the fifth seat to use his Zanpakuto's ability to begin draining the Arrancar's energy.

Seeing the danger he was in the Fraccion resorted to his "secret weapon". Opening his mouth incredibly wide he summoned Bawabawa from his stomach.

"What in the name of all that stains Captain Zaraki's sword is that!?" The Shinigami exclaimed, before being caught in a massive head butt from the creature and sent through a nearby building with enough force to render him unconscious.

After taking a few deep breaths, and returning the minion, Dondochakka returned to help Pesche with the other combatant.

 _***SoD***_

As all of this was happening, the Captains and Espada could only watch the battle, knowing that if either side made a move then all hell would break loose and the weaker members would be caught in the crossfire, resulting in far worse casualties.

 _***SoD***_

The last of Baraggan's Fraccion was finally killed when Nirgge was caught from behind by Omaeda, who brought the full force of his Zanpakuto down on the Arrancar's head, crushing it instantly.

Unfortunately due to his attack the large man was unable to dodge Yylfordt's horns as they pierced his heart from behind. Causing his Captain to cry out, surprising those around her in the process.

Despite what many believed Sui-Feng did care for her lieutenant, she just had a difficult time expressing her feelings, and watching his body fall lifelessly to the ground filled her with a rage that frightened even the experienced Captains around her.

Before the Arrancar could bother gloating though Renji had appeared above him and wrapped his Shikai around the monster's neck before pulling swiftly and decapitating him without effort. Renji then turned his attention on the four Privaron Espada who had yet to engage in the battle.

 _***SoD***_

As the First Division officer fired off various forms of Kido he growled in annoyance as each time the Arrancar, who had identified himself as Rudbornn, raised wall after wall of duplicates to block the attacks, and then would send another wave of copies to attack the Shinigami.

Although Chojiro was not having any difficulty in dealing with the unrelenting army it was slowly wearing him down, and he had begun receiving cuts along his arms in defense.

Just as he was preparing to release his Bankai and simply fry his opponent he heard a body come flying by him at high speeds, blowing through the wall of Arrancar effortlessly and proceeding straight through Rudbornn as well.

After the figure stopped her bullet-like attack, the lieutenant was shocked to see that his helper was none other than Nemu Kurotsuchi.

 _***SoD***_

Di Roy and Nakeem had both fallen in an attempt to attack Isane while she had been healing Hisagi, who was injured in a surprise attack from Tesra while he had confronted another opponent.

As the two Arrancar's had launched their assault they found themselves trapped in a barrier created by Hachi, who had also been injured and was in line for recovery. This allowed the two Kido experts to focus a powerful dual Shakkaho combination spell through an opening, and due to the close proximity blew the two opponents to pieces.

With only three Fraccion left Chojiro ordered Yachiru, Nemu, and a somewhat recovered Hisagi to handle them while Renji, Lisa, Mashiro, and he took care of the four Arrancar not yet committed to the battle.

 _***SoD***_

Ikkaku found himself quickly put on the defensive as he was forced to engage two opponents at the same time. Not only was it two on one but the two were obviously well skilled in teamwork, attacking from different angles and interrupting any counter attacks he would attempt. He had already been wounded several times and if the battle continued in this fashion he would lose.

He didn't want to lose, to let down Yumichika and his Captain.

At the same time he didn't want to show his Bankai against such weak opponents along with the fact that if he showed his true power they might consider him for a promotion, something he was desperate to avoid.

Above all else though he was a member of the Gotei 13, and he would not endanger an ally or a mission for something as silly as being transferred to a different division.

Steeling his resolve the third seat put a good deal of distance between him and his opponents, closed the three parts of his spear together, and then proceeded to use his full power.

"BANKAI!"

With an eruption of spiritual energy Ikkaku emerged, his spear becoming a fearsome three bladed weapon, causing the two Arrancar to step back in fright.

"Well we did say that we wanted to fight him at his best right?" Pesche muttered out.

"No you did, I told you we should have beaten him BEFORE he did that. Now we have to finish him quickly before he has time to fully awaken it." Dondochakka replied, and receiving a nod from his ally began to charge a Cero with his hand, while Pesche did the same.

"Oh? So now you are going to start taking me seriously eh? Well I will show you what I can do. I will cut through that pitiful attack of yours and rip you both to shreds!" The man laughed out as he charged straight forward, hoping to finally enjoy the fight to the fullest.

'Poor fool doesn't even know what is coming.' Nelliel thought as she watched her Fraccion's signature attack form.

" _Cero Sincretico_ " Pesche Shouted as the two Cero's merged and fired in an incredible display of force against the Shinigami, who due to his charge had no time to evade the blast and instead was forced to try and block it.

The explosion blew the two Fraccion backwards from the force and damaged much of the nearby building before the dust cleared revealing a badly injured Ikkaku, who was barely managing to stay upright in the air, before his Bankai, also damaged in the explosion, faded away and he fell.

Before losing consciousness the bald man had time to only mutter out one word.

"Damn."

 _***SoD***_

"Aaroniero, it is time." Gantenbainne spoke, as he turned to his fellow Privaron Espada.

The masked Arrancar in question gave a slight nod before taking out a small rectangular device, and threw it into the air. The object went higher and higher up towards the sky before it came to a halt and began to glow, and then expand.

Strange looking lines and darkness covered the sky, blotting out the sun and replacing it with a moon similar to the one in Hueco Mundo.

"What you don't like our scenery Arrancar?" Renji called out, trying to agitate his opponents.

"Oh it's not that Renji It is simply the fact that without the night sky I can't join you in this battle." A familiar voice called out loud enough for the Captains to hear as well.

"Who are…" Renji responded, only to look on in horror as the masked member of Aizen's army revealed himself to be none other than Kaien Shiba.

"W-what b-but that's possible! You're dead!" the redhead shouted at the man, who only smirked back before glancing in the direction of the Captains, specifically Ukitake.

The white haired man could only stare, mouth open, at the sight of his former lieutenant alive, and standing with their enemy.

"What's wrong Captain? I thought you would be happy to see me after all this time? Although I must say I am incredibly disappointed in all of you. Letting Rukia be executed? I am ashamed to have even called myself a member of the Gotei 13."

"SHUTUP YOU BASTARD!" The lieutenant screamed at the Arrancar. "I DON'T KNOW WHO THE HELL YOU THINK YOU ARE BUT YOU ARE NOT KAIEN AND YOU ARE SURE AS HELL NOT ALLOWED TO SAY HER NAME!"

"Oh touchy much eh Renji? You know Rukia always said she felt a connection with you, maybe even more than the one she had with me. Perhaps you two could have been lovers, if you had been strong enough to save her."

Renji blurred forward, slamming his Shikai against the false Shinigami's blade before pushing him back in rage. "I will rip you to pieces you bastard! I don't know who the hell you think you are fooling but I know better, and for disgracing that man's image you will die!"

"Oh? But don't you understand Renji, I am Kaien Shiba! Let me show you what I mean." After slipping past the red haired man's attack the Arrancar began spinning his Zanpakuto before calling out the release command that sent chills down his former Captain's spine.

"Surge, Water and Heaven"

As the trident took shape Aaroniero lunged forward and hit a stunned Renji in the chest with a large burst of water, sending the man spiraling back before he was able to regain his footing.

The Shinigami retaliated by extending his sword toward his opponent, only for the Arrancar to knock the sword aside and close the distance, again sending a tidal wave like attack into the red haired man.

"This is pointless Renji, you are a disgrace to Shinigami and all seated officers, while I am a genius. There is no chance of you defeating me. In the end I will avenge Rukia by aiding those who will lay waste to her killers, and you will fall with them. Your own sins washed away with the tide."

Again Renji swung out, extending his Zanpakuto and knocking the three pronged weapon away from him, this time though it was Renji who lunged forward intending on using the break in defense to end the battle. Instead Kaien used the handle end of his weapon to cause a wave to surge up in a counter, knocking the lieutenant's weapon aside and spun his weapon around to impale the man in the shoulder with two of the three prongs.

"I told you Renji, I was always better than you. I always will be better than you and there is nothing you can ever do to catch up. Hell even Rukia liked me more than you."

"We will see about that you bastard." Renji huffed out after using Shunpo to gain some distance and catching his breath.

"BANKAI!" The still enraged man shouted, revealing the massive snake like weapon.

"Oh that's quite impressive Renji, although I believe it is time for me to show you the power that Lord Aizen has granted me. Devour!"

Renji went wide eyed as he beheld the horrific mass of purple tentacles and teeth.

"What in the hell are you?" Renji muttered out.

"Oh that is quite simple. You see when Kaien Shiba was killed he was devoured by a Hollow, who was in turn devoured by me. My ability grants me control over everything that I eat. Thus I am Kaien Shiba, and over 33,000 other Hollows." The monster loudly declared with a smirk.

"If that's the case then killing you will set Kaien's soul free. I may not have been able to save Rukia but maybe if I can kill you it will redeem me somewhat." The red haired man growled out before sending his Bankai straight at the monstrosity.

"RENJI NO DON'T TOUCH IT!" Ukitake hollered from his position, causing the Shinigami to stop mid attack and the Arrancar to frown in annoyance.

"He has the ability to destroy any Zanpakuto that touches its tentacles, it was an ability from the Hollow that Kaien and I faced. You must not touch him!" the Captain finished.

Renji growled in annoyance before returning his Bankai to his side. This new turn of events seriously limited the close range fighter.

'I do have my final attack. The problem is that it drains the hell out of me once I use it so I have to end this in one shot.' Renji pondered, not used to strategizing before a battle.

Quickly coming to an idea the Shinigami extended his hand and fired a Shakkaho at the Arrancar, who promptly blocked the attack with one of his tentacles. However the area was now filled with a dense smoke.

The cover allowed Renji to move directly above his opponent, and unleash his full power straight down onto Kaien's 'body'.

" _Hikotsu Taiho_ "

The energy blast slammed down onto the Arrancar, utterly vaporizing his upper body before entering the lower mass, causing it to explode a moment later.

For his part Renji could only deactivate his Bankai, and slowly descend to a nearby building for rest, having put almost all of his power into that one attack.

"I am so sorry Rukia."

 _***SoD***_

The battle between Chojiro and Dordoni was… odd to say the least.

Chojiro would attempt to use his rapier to impale the man, who would counter by trying to kick it out of the way, which would lead into one of them being stabbed and the other thrown backwards due to the kick.

"I must say Shinigami-San you are quite talented, I have heard that you are the lieutenant to the General himself, quite impressive I admit."

"Thank you for your compliment Arrancar-San. I am surprised that you do not seem to be one of Aizen's elite warriors, you fight with skill and honor far beyond what I would have expected of a normal Hollow."

"Ah that is because we are far beyond simply normal Hollows and it was Aizen-Dono who gave us this chance to become more than mindless monsters who seek only to devour others. We have been given purpose."

"I see, and what is your purpose then?"

"To be the best! To stand with Aizen-Dono once more as the strongest, to gain the respect of all those I used to have. But in order to do this I must push myself and prove I am worthy, for that Shinigami-san I ask that you go all out against me. You four stood above the other lieutenants for a reason and if the red haired one has Bankai then surely you do as well."

"I do indeed, but my question to you is why would I use my full power if you haven't resorted to using yours yet?"

"Touché, in that case I shall go all out in respect for you my opponent!"

With that the Arrancar unleashed his Resurreccion and viciously launched several attacks towards his opponent, hoping to force the man into a corner.

The problem was that now the Shinigami could use his accuracy to his advantage, piercing the twisters in just the right manner to dissipate them before dodging another volley.

"Impressive Shinigami-San but I wonder how long you can keep this up." The man shouted, before forming a strange hand sign and charging a Cero.

Chojiro just managed to dodge the blast before being slammed into a building from a twister. At this point Dordoni paused in his assault to give his opponent time to recover, though he may be in a life or death battle that did not excuse rudeness.

As his opponent emerged from the rubble the Arrancar looked over him curiously, noticing the blood and fresh wounds he had received from the recent attack.

"You really should take this fight more seriously Shinigami-San, I would hate for you to be killed just because you underestimated me after all."

"I suppose you are right, I have an obligation to General Yamamoto and I cannot let him down due to my own pride. Very well, prepare yourself Arrancar. Bankai!"

At his release a large dome of lightning formed in the sky above the two warriors, connected to the ground through a series of pillars.

"Impressive, but let us see how well you can use it in combat!" The Arrancar shouted in glee as he fired two more tornados toward the lieutenant, only for the man to make a slight gesture and the twisters to be split by lightning bolts.

"Unfortunately for you Arrancar-San this battle is over. Your abilities are no match for mine in this state, where you can only attack from your own position I can strike anywhere."

It was then that Chojiro made a grand gesture towards his opponent, summoning a massive lightning bolt that completely enveloped the Privaron Espada, disintegrating most of him on impact.

 _***SoD***_

After Renji and Chojiro had begun their battles Mashiro looked to her two remaining potential enemies.

Upon staring at Circucci for a few moments she leaped towards Gantenbainne shouting excitedly.

"Carrot top! This is going to be so much fun. I shall bring you to justice!"

Taken by surprise the Arrancar could only watch with an expression somewhere between horror and confusion as the tiny girl delivered a kick that sent him spiraling into a nearby building, before chasing after him.

Emerging from the dust the man grumbled about "cheap shots" before dashing forward and meeting the girl's next kick with a vicious punch of his own, creating a shockwave as the two collided.

After a moment of trying to overpower each other the exchange of blows began. Punches and kicks being delivered faster than the average Shinigami could see slowly blended together into a blur of motion.

Soon though the two combatants broke apart, both bruised from the encounter.

"I must say I am impressed little girl, I did not expect such power from you and for that I apologize for my ignorance."

"That's okay carrot top, you don't really look that tough either but you sure pack a punch." The Visored cheerfully replied.

"Since any further conflict like we just had will only end in a stalemate I believe it is time for me to show you my true potential, behold my Resurreccion!" the Privaron Espada exclaimed as he exploded in a cloud of smoke, and emerged in his transformed state.

"Now I will give you the chance to make any changes you might have if you wish, releasing your Shikai, Bankai, or what not."

"Hmm well you do seem a whole lot stronger, and what would a superhero be without a mask so…" the young girl reached up and made a motion as if pulling down a mask over her face, only to summon a Hollow mask.

"Incredible, your spiritual power has increased to an impressive level. This fight will be a close one no matter how it ends." The Arrancar remarked before charging in with a swift right punch.

Mashiro ducked under the blow only to retaliate with an attempted kick to the torso, which the man blocked with his left arm, grunting a bit at the force applied.

Seeing his opportunity Gantenbainne wrapped his arm around the green haired girl's leg and brought down his right elbow, connecting with her shoulder. As the blow connected though, the Visored kicked forward with her free leg, delivering a power blow to the man's stomach and throwing him backwards.

"Not bad, but unfortunately I do not have any more time to fight with you, this ends now!" The Arrancar proclaimed before charging his most powerful attack.

" _Rugir del Dragon_ "

As the "carrot top" launched his dragon shaped energy blast Mashiro ran full speed towards it, then jumped just as it was about to reach her. Spinning over the attack in a perfect motion the girl launched a dropkick in mid air just as she cleared the attack.

" _Super Mashiro Drop Kick_ " The girl proclaimed as he feet connected with the surprised Arrancar, causing a large shockwave and throwing the Privaron completely through a nearby building and into the ground below.

Panting the Visored gave a heroic pose and a victory 'V' signature with her two fingers.

 _***SoD***_

Lisa stared at her opponent.

Cirucci stared back.

After about three minutes of the staring the Arrancar started getting bored.

"Are we going to fight or what? As much as I love standing around doing crap I have better things to do, like help mop up the rest of your friends." The bored female called out.

"I believe you are mistaken, despite your superior numbers you have suffered far more casualties than we have. This will only increase once the Captains enter the battle."

"That's what I am waiting for. I want to take on one of them not some crappy second in command. I bet the guy in the pink cloak would be an easy win."

After the words left her mouth Cirucci immediately brought up her disk-like blade to block Lisa's slash, forcing the Arrancar back a few steps.

"Oh sensitive are we? You don't wear the normal Shinigami outfit so maybe he discarded you after finding someone else? There does seem to be another girl who looks like your sister, I wonder if he is with her now instead?" Cirucci egged on as she slipped the rope around her opponent's arm and tossed her into a nearby building.

"You have no idea what you are talking about. The Soul Society discarded us _not_ Captain Shunsui." The Visored growled out, emerging from the debris.

"Oh? Then why is it he replaced you with what appears to be a younger clone? I would say just by a glance that she is stronger too. If he truly didn't abandon you then why didn't he help you stay? After all he is a Captain is he not?"

"It isn't like that, we were branded as criminals we couldn't…"

"Bullshit!" The Privaron screamed out, launching her Zanpakuto at the other girl, who barely managed to dodge it in time. Unfortunately she wasn't focused enough to move out of the way from the redirected attack and received a large cut on her back for it.

"I know all about your ridiculous system, he probably never even tried to keep you around. Hell I bet he sent you out himself. What kind of leader sends their subordinates without going with them? What kind of man sends his lover without making sure she is safe!?" Again the Cirucci threw the weapon at her opponent, who this time opted to try and parry the attack, only for the Arrancar to divert it slightly at the last moment, catching the girl in the arm.

Lisa cried out painfully but held her ground, trying to silence her opponent's taunting.

"That isn't true, the Captain and I… we never…"

"Maybe not, but you wanted to did you not? Do you not still feel something towards him even after all this time? Hell I bet that you are only here because you were promised a pardon for whatever the hell you did. You probably thought that if you could show up, stronger than ever, he would take you back right?" Aiming her weapon behind the former Shinigami Cirucci wrapped the cord around her several times binding her arms to her waist, and then began to swing the poor girl around slamming her through buildings.

"And for all your troubles, for all your pain, and training what did you find when you were finally able to see him again? He replaces you with a prettier woman!" the Arrancar screams before throwing her opponent downwards into the ground, creating a large crater due to the impact.

A few moments later Lisa emerged, her Zanpakuto released into a spear like weapon.

"Enough of this, even if it is true you will not leave this battle alive." The girl growled out calling upon her Hollow mask and charging her opponent.

"That's more like it! Rip Off!" The Arrancar smirked as she entered into her Resurreccion state and charged forward as well, aligning her wings toward her adversary.

Just as the two were about to collide Lisa flipped through the air above Cirucci, using her Zanpakuto almost like a sword to cut the Arrancar from her head to her tail, completely bisecting her opponent.

Unfortunately she was unaware that the blades on her wings were detachable, and was unprepared for the six blades that came from behind, cutting her to pieces.

 _***SoD***_

Ukitake looked over to his best friend, after watching the man's former lieutenant die. The battle so far had been taxing on both of them concerning old subordinates.

Shunsui merely had his head and hat down, covering his face to hide his expression.

 _***SoD***_

As the Privaron were being finished up Yachiru and Nemu landed the final blow on Shawlong, ending the life of the first Fraccion of Aizen's army.

Tesra and Edrad's bodies were also amongst the dead, having fallen to the combined efforts of the two powerful lieutenants.

Hisagi's life had been claimed in the process though. He had placed himself in front of a Cero meant for Isane, and due to his already weakened state was unable to take the blast.

Isane had tried desperately to save him but to no avail. The damage had been too extensive, and now she mourned for those who had lost their lives in this battle already, and for those who would lose their lives as the war continued.

 _***SoD***_

Between the two seemingly youngest of the combatants the battle had been much of a stalemate so far. Even with Lillynette's training she found herself merely tied with the obnoxious young blonde she faced.

Early on in the battle Hiyori had remarked that without a Zanpakuto the green haired Arrancar would stand no chance against her, earning a smirk from her opponent as Lillynette clapped her hands together, and upon drawing them apart formed a curved blade of blue spiritual energy.

She then went on to show the blonde just how much of a chance she stood.

"I must say blondie, you are better than I thought you would be." Lillynette growled out as the two struggled for dominance in their sword clash.

"I would say the same but a fake Hollow like you will never beat someone as strong as me." Hiyori responded, ignoring the fact that they were equal in strength.

Finally the two pushed apart, both glaring at each other.

 _***SoD***_

"I must say I am impressed Stark, I never thought you would convince Lillynette to dress more… conservatively." Harribel commented, after seeing that the Fraccion had changed from her exceedingly revealing outfit into a full button up vest, and long white pants.

"Actually I didn't I was just as surprised as you when she showed up wearing that, although it is good to see her take this seriously, well as seriously as she can." Stark replied.

 _***SoD***_

As the two blades clashed, again and again, blue sparks from the Arrancar's sword meeting the red from a Visored's Zanpakuto, it became more and more obvious that a stalemate would be inevitable.

"I hate to say it but this is getting old, at this rate we will be fighting until we are both exhausted. A bit anticlimactic for the most important battle so far huh?" Hiyori called out, earning a smirk from her opponent.

"Yeah I guess you are right. Maybe we should stop messing around then huh? You seem to want to impress that buck toothed blonde guy and I know I am interested in showing Stark what I can really do." This response got a much bigger grin from Hiyori at the idea of showing up Shinji.

"You know it's too bad I have to destroy you. Out of everyone here you might be my favorite so far, from either side." the Visored laughed out, earning an eye twitch from Shinji.

"Alright let's get down to business, Butcher Them" Hiyori called out, revealing her Shikai and earning a grin from the Arrancar, who again charged forward to exchange blows. This time it was obvious that Hiyori had an advantage, with her released sword boosting her power she had finally been able to end the stalemate.

As the fight dragged on the Fraccion had received numerous cuts over her body and bruises from the few Hakuda hits she had received. Pushing apart once more Hiyori gained a determined look in her eye, as she began feeling the other Shinigami life forces fading.

"It seems the others could use a bit of help, sorry but I have to end this now. It was fun though." The blonde shouted, before donning her Hollow mask, and substantially increasing her power.

"I do believe you are right, it is time for this to end." The green haired girl muttered in reply before crouching down on her feet and hands, assuming a position of a runner.

" _Joven Lobo_ "

Hiyori's eyes widened in shock as the young Arrancar became cloaked in what appeared to be wolf fur, her head in the middle of a wolf's mouth. Overall she took on a savage primal look.

"S-so big deal now you look kind of like one of those cat girls…"

But before Hiyori could finish her sentence Lillynette had appeared in front of her and rammed her fist into the blonde's stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

 _***SoD***_

"When did she achieve Resurreccion?" Stark asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"A few weeks ago, she wanted it to be a surprise. I think you realize more than anyone how much she wants your attention and approval. She wants to impress you Stark you are a father to her." Nelliel replied softly, causing the Primera's eyes to go wide with surprise and then take on a warmer appearance.

"I know, and I am proud of her, more than she will ever know."

 _***SoD***_

As the two clashed the difference in transformations was obvious. Although Hiyori had a slight reach advantage with her sword and was slightly stronger, Lillynette's speed and agility allowed her to easily dodge any attempt the Visored made.

"Damnit! Fine take this!" the blonde shouted before firing a Cero at her opponent.

The Fraccion responded by charging a Cero of her own, from the wolf's mouth that adorned her head.

As the two blasts met there was a tremendous release of force, before the Arrancar's blast slowly won out and Hiyori was forced to dodge out of the way.

"Kind of silly of you don't you think? Challenging a Hollow to a Cero contest? You might be better with a blade than I am but there is no way you are going to beat me with a technique that isn't inherently yours. Unfortunately we are both running a bit low on energy, so I will finish this fight now. No matter how strong the two of us get we are merely pawns in the overall war, you and I both know this. So it is time to step aside and let the true powers fight." Lillynette called out, before once again assuming a wolf like position on her hands and feet.

"I hope you feel a bit honored, I can only use this technique once per day as I am now." Hiyori's eyes could only widen in shock at hearing the statement, and took up a defensive stance.

" _Furia Del Lobo_ "

Suddenly the wolf fur began to glow a bright blue, and seemed to convert to pure energy as it shot back behind the crouched girl. It then took the form of a colossal blue wolf with bright red eyes.

Hiyori could only watch in horror as the monster bounded over the prone Arrancar and charged her. Raising her Zanpakuto she tried to block the oncoming bite but was forced back into a building, where the massive creature exploded, sending her falling towards the ground.

A moment later Lillynette also fell from the sky, her energy spent from the battle.

As the two fell they were caught, by Shinji and Stark respectively.

Shinji glanced down, checking the blonde's vitals before confirming she was in no risk of immediate death, looked up to see Stark staring at him, almost as if asking the girls state.

"She's fine," Shinji called out emotionlessly, to which the Espada nodded.

"She is okay Lillynette, I am proud of you, don't ever forget that." Stark whispered softly, answering the question that the young girl had asked just moments earlier.

Nodding slightly the green haired Arrancar passed out, hoping to meet her blonde friend again.

 _***SoD***_

Early on in the three on three fight both Hinamori and Rangiku had released their Zanpakuto, with Nanao staying behind them and acting as ranged support.

The three Fraccion had yet to release their Zanpakuto but still had given the Shinigami quite the battle thus far, attacking from different angles and switching targets without any verbal communication. Although the Shinigami had more options to attack with, the Fraccion had better teamwork.

As such both sides were fairly well injured at this point, most of the damage the Arrancar had taken had been due to Hinamori and Nanao's Kido attacks while the other three had been injured in complex attack formations.

"We need to take one of them out, their teamwork is the greatest strength that they have and even the elimination of one should prove decisive." Nanao muttered out, with the other two lieutenants nodding in agreement.

"Rangiku if you can distract the quiet one and the largest of the three for a short time we can probably get rid of the loud mouthed Arrancar quite easily." Momo analyzed before Rangiku took off in an attack against Mila Rose, drawing Sung-Sun into the battle in the process due to her wide area attacks.

Meanwhile Momo charged Apacci leaving Nanao time to form a powerful binding spell.

As Momo and Apacci clashed the Fraccion suddenly found herself unable to move, her arms and legs frozen by six light beams piercing her torso.

Looking up in shock she saw the two reciting incantations. Nanao fired off a Soren Sokatsui while Momo launched a Haien purple blast. As the two attacks converged on her the Arrancar could do nothing more than close her eyes and await her end, only to find it never came.

Sung-Sun had saw the situation that her ally was in and, transforming into her Resurreccion immediately, leapt in front of the attack to save her friend, only to be critically injured in the process.

"CYAN!" Apacci screamed out, gaining the attention of Mila Rose as well who used Sonido to appear at her side, and broke the Kido holding her friend.

"W-why did you do that you idiot! I was the one who had been caught not you! I was the one who should have been hit."

"It's okay, I am glad to have taken Lady Harribel's aspect of sacrifice to heart. You need to stay with her. After this war is over she will need both of your support. My last gift to you is this," the woman quickly removed her arm and handed it to Mila while shaking slightly. "Use it to save yourselves you two must now live for all three of us." The dying Arrancar coughed out before closing her eyes one last time, a soft smile appearing on her unobstructed face.

Apacci slowly lowered to a nearby building, before laying the body of her friend down gently. The tomboyish female then glared up at the three expressionless Shinigami.

Returning to Mila's side she also released her Resurreccion, along with the dark skinned woman, and tore off her arm as well. Without even looking to her partner they used the remaining arm to conjure a red sphere of energy, creating the creature known as Ayon.

"Ayon, deal with them." Mila commanded without a hint of emotion in her voice.

The monster swiftly charged the three lieutenants, battering Rangiku away with one arm and slamming into Momo with its body.

Before it could follow up on the attack though, Nanao managed to bind it with a Sajo Sabaku before Momo released a large fireball impacting the creature but doing minimum damage to it.

After a brief moment the monster broke through the spell and backhanded Nanao through a nearby building, before impaling Hinamori with its arm and then tearing her body in half.

Meanwhile the other two Fraccion had appeared over an injured Rangiku, about to strike a final blow on the defenseless woman before remembering a request.

 _***Flashback***_

"Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, could you three come here for a moment, I have a request for you." Ichigo spoke out after the Arrancar had gone over a final strategy meeting.

"What is it Ichigo?" Cyan asked, a bit curious as to what the most powerful Espada could ask of them.

"I know that you three have been assigned to fight Rangiku Matsumoto and I know this is asking a lot but could you ensure that she survives the fight? At least until I arrive? Gin seems to be very fond of her and I owe him a favor after everything he has done for me."

The three Arrancar could only stare at the man, shocked, for a moment before Apacci nodded her head.

"Yes Ichigo I think we can handle that."

"Thank you, I think there will be enough killing during the war as is." The boy muttered out softly.

 _***End Flashback***_

"If she had been the one to kill Sung-Sun I would say otherwise, but we made him a promise. We can't kill her." Mila Rose muttered out, to the shock of the injured Shinigami.

"Promise who? Did Gin ask you to…" was all the Rangiku could ask before passing out from her injuries.

Before the two could return to the battle they felt an enormous surge of spiritual energy, looking up they watched as Captain Hitsugaya Shunpo'd in front of the monster Ayon and split him in half, then froze and shattered the remains in rage.

He then turned his gaze towards them, and with a snarl shot forward, intent on ending their lives for his fallen friend.

Before the Captain could reach them though, Zommari appeared before him with a burst of Sonido.

"I do believe this fight is for your lieutenants and our Fraccion only, your interference is not welcomed yet." The man droned out.

"Ah but I believe the other fights are done Espada-San that means it's time to get down to business." Shunsui replied, promptly appearing next to Hitsugaya, followed by the other Captains. While the Espada joined Zommari and Harribel tended to her fallen Fraccion.

"Now then what do you say we get this show on the road?" Shunsui declared, before drawing his two Zanpakuto.

***A/N***

I do so hope I did okay on my first almost completely combat oriented chapter, I know a lot of you will probably be disappointed that I skipped over so many fights but I was over 9k words even with that. This was after I rewrote a large part where I made each fight lengthy, and it turned out bad. Like really bad. I didn't want a repeat of the Civil war chapter so I shortened it down to the fights I really wanted to portray.

Still though the Arrancar do better in my version than in the actual war, since they actually cause casualties in mine whereas the manga everyone is just okay at the end except for the bad guys.

The Espada will have more in depth fights, mainly because I find them far more interesting and useful in combat than the Fraccion who got their asses kicked by virtually everyone.

All in all my favorite part of this was the Hiyori vs. Lillynette fight, which was why it was basically all in one spot. Writing entirely new powers was a hell of a lot of fun.

I was really considering using RG-Guest's review in the story, but I am trying to avoid directly copying anyone else, still a really good idea I hadn't even thought of. So if anyone has any more feel free to share!

Anyway I hope everyone enjoyed reading this, it was a bit difficult to write at various parts but overall I think it turned out okay.

 **Translations-**

Joven Lobo- Young Wolf

Furia Del Lobo- Wolf's Fury


	24. Exchange of Blows

**Shadows of Deceit**

Exchange of Blows

I am still writing, which means I am still thanking everyone who is taking the time to read, review, like, or follow.

***I am still writing FanFiction, which means I still have no ownership over anything. ***

 _***SoD***_

"Alright everyone here is the plan." Stark called out quietly as the Espada and Shinigami faced each other down. "We all know what each of them are capable of so we each know who we can take down the fastest. Pick your targets carefully and…"

But before Stark could finish a large smirk appeared on Grimmjow's face before he charged at the opposite force.

"TO HELL WITH THAT ZARAKI IS MINE. I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR A GOOD FIGHT!" The Espada shouted as the Captain in question formed his own bloodlust filled smile and charged as well.

"Finally some action! Let's see what you got Arrancar!"

As the two combatants reached each other Grimmjow delivered a kick to Kenpachi throwing him a good distance away and followed after him, laughing maniacally.

"Well so much for Grimmjow." Ulquiorra stated, as Harribel could only sigh and shake her head.

"I believe based on the glare that the young Hitsugaya is giving me that I will be battling him, most likely due to my involvement in his revenge seeking." Zommari stated, receiving a growl from the young genius as the two flashed away from the others.

"You big strong guy!" Yammy shouted suddenly, while pointing at Komamura. The anthromorph looked at the ogre like Arrancar a bit strangely before responding, "Yeah what do you want?"

"I want to test you! They say you are the physically strongest Captain, and I am the strongest Arrancar! It is only fitting that we duke it out, mano a mano." The Espada continued, and after receiving a nod of confirmation from the Captain they too disappeared in a blur of speed.

Stark let out a deep sigh as Szayel and Rose also disappeared after an exchange of glares, along with Nnoitra and Kensei.

"So much for sticking to the plan." He muttered out in annoyance.

"Do not be too concerned Stark, we knew that the others were too prideful to follow any type of orders that one of us would give them, hopefully the knowledge they have gained will give them an advantage." Ulquiorra responded, before setting his sights on Ukitake, who responded with a small nod and the two sped off to engage each other.

"Bah it doesn't matter who I fight, none can stand before me!" Baraggan declared.

"Oh then how about we test this theory Hollow." Love questioned, gaining a snicker from the elder Arrancar before the two left to find a secluded battlefield.

"Well that works out, I wanted to fight the one with the stick up his ass anyway." Nelliel said in a nonchalant manner, and directed a small glare towards Byakuya.

"I am not sure what I have done to earn your anger Hollow, but rest assured that it will be well earned by the end of our fight." The nobleman responded as the two headed out.

"You know which one I want Shunsui, which means you are stuck with your carbon copy. Sorry about that." Harribel told the Primera.

"Sui-Feng we need to have a girl talk." The dark skinned Espada called out as she stared at the female.

"I guess that means you and I are going to battle it out then Espada-San." Shunsui remarked cheerfully as Stark gave out a groan. He figured he would end up fighting the dual wielding Captain but his opponent's powers were such a pain to deal with.

 _***SoD***_

"Hey Kisuke, shouldn't we join in the fights as well?" Yoruichi questioned, getting a bit anxious to stretch her limbs in a battle.

"Patience is a virtue my dear neko. But we are saving ourselves for the main course. There are still three opponents who haven't been engaged yet and they will undoubtedly be the toughest of all. They know more about us than the Arrancar do after all. Besides we can get involved in the fights once we figure out who the toughest opponents are, right general?" The exile replied jovially as he covered his mouth using his patented fan.

Yamamoto replied by ignoring the former Captain twice as hard as he had been doing so, and greeting his lieutenant who had returned with a report on the casualties they had sustained.

"Sounds like they are tougher than you thought old man." Isshin replied, once the information was read.

"I agree, good thing you enlisted us to fight your battles for you. Once this is over though we are going to have a long talk, I do not appreciate you forbidding us from intervening when we lost one of our own." Shinji growled out, Tessai nodded in agreement in his usual stoic manner.

Unohana had elected to go and tend to the wounded Shinigami while Kurotsuchi had been absent from the battle so far.

 _***SoD***_

"Alright Shinigami, let me explain to you the 'pecking order' it goes you, the dirt…" but before Yammy could finish his speech an annoyed Komamura slammed his fist into the Espada's face, throwing the man through a nearby building.

"I don't have time to spend talking to you Hollow, so I need to end this battle quickly to go and help the others destroy the rest of your kind."

After emerging from the rubble the Arrancar growled at his opponent before shouting back, "I AM GOING TO PUNCH YOU SO MUCH THAT, THAT…. YOU WISH I DIDN'T PUNCH YOU SO MUCH!" Before charging back into the fight, and locking hands with the Shinigami in a contest of strength.

As the two pushed with all their might they found themselves at a stalemate, before Yammy sent a vicious head butt into his opponent's face, followed by a two handed overhead slam, sending the Captain spiraling down to the streets below.

"Heh, not bad I think you might be as strong as me. But you Shinigami can't think outside the box enough to defeat an opponent like myself. I am so unpredictable that even I don't know what the hell I am talking about half the time!" The Espada congratulated himself, not realizing the implications behind his own comment.

Suddenly a giant armored hand appeared in front of the tenth Espada, before punching him into another nearby building.

"Perhaps we do not fight as dirty as you do Hollow, but we have honor and that is far more than any of your kind will ever be able to say. Cheap tricks will never be a match for raw power and skill!" The fox-morph shouted out as he emerged back into the air after his retaliatory Shikai strike.

"Oh cause that wasn't a cheap shot at all! Alright fine use your stupid disembodied arm all you want it won't make any difference cause…" Yammy replied, charging the Captain at full speed before being swatted away, again by the man's Shikai.

"I could have at least gotten a decent opponent. This is rather embarrassing even for a Hollow to fight with such stupidity." The Shinigami muttered to himself.

Again the Espada charged his opponent, shouting various obscenities. As Sajin drew back and charged his Shikai for another attack the Ogre-like man grinned, and began firing a barrage of Bala's.

Komamura's eyes opened wide, shocked for a moment, before he brought his Shikai down in front of him, blocking the attacks and his view of the Hollow.

Unfortunately this was just what his opponent had been waiting for, as he used Sonido to gain a height advantage and fire a Cero over the man's defense.

Before the large man could dodge he was hit by the blast and thrown back into the ground with a large explosion.

The Espada stood grinning in the air.

"Ha showed you yah bastard!" the man snickered, feeling rather proud of his 'accomplishment'. "And they said I couldn't strata… stratig… strategoo… fight smart…"

"Quite impressive Hollow, I did not think you were capable of doing anything more than charging me blindly and shouting. I have underestimated you up until now, but that ends here, Bankai!"

 _***SoD***_

"It took you long enough to get here." Zommari called out, just as Hitsugaya arrived at the chosen spot a moment later.

The young boy growled in response before unsheathing his sword, pointing it at his opponent in a menacing way.

"I seem to have offended you. Rest assured that while you are my enemy and you will die this day I had no intention of doing the former. I would rather you be in a calm state of mind so that your defeat cannot be questioned." The Espada continued, further aggravating the Captain who charged forward, swinging his sword down in an attempt to end the fight immediately.

To his surprise he hit only air as Zommari appeared a dozen or so feet away, just as calm as before.

'I didn't even see him move, how is he this fast!?'

"Perhaps you should choose a different opponent? Speed is often the determining factor in a battle and there are no Espada faster than I. I am sure that there are Shinigami faster than you though, perhaps you should trade opponents with one of them?"

"Speed isn't everything you bastard, I will show you what raw power can do! Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens Hyorinmaru!"

Upon releasing his Shikai Hitsugaya launched a large ice dragon towards the dark skinned man, who merely dodged out of the way, irritating the child prodigy and causing him to attack again and again. Soon the dragons covered the area with ice, the surrounding buildings and streets frozen solid. His opponent, however, remained untouched.

"As I have said before, power means nothing if you cannot injure your enemy."

"It doesn't matter how fast you are if all you do is run away! You will make a mistake and one hit is all that I will need."

"Ah but that is where you are mistaken, I was merely giving you the chance to see your own flaws and surrender. I had no interest in killing an opponent that provides me with no challenge after all."

"I will show you a challenge." The white haired boy growled out before launching a massive ice dragon toward the man, this one several times larger than the others.

'He won't be able to dodge this due to its size, and even if he does he will be vulnerable.'

Sure enough though Zommari was able to dodge the attack it was in a way that Hitsugaya could predict, allowing the Captain to land a slash across his opponent's shoulder.

Putting some distance between them Zommari quickly assessed the situation, his speed had been anticipated and now he was injured. Such a thing could not be allowed and now that the boy was slightly worn out it was time to strike.

Using Sonido he appeared behind his adversary, delivering a quick slash to his opponent's back, before disappearing, and reappearing to his side, to deliver another slash. This process would repeat several times, and although the cuts were shallow they were adding up to serious damage.

Realizing the danger he was in if it continued Hitsugaya swung his sword out, sending a spiraling ice dragon from it and forcing the Espada back to avoid the attack.

"As I stated in the beginning child, speed will be the determining factor in this fight. You cannot hope to keep up with me and you are barely able to mount a defense when I truly choose to attack you."

The Arrancar's statement was met with a chuckle from the Captain.

"We will see about that Hollow. Just because you are faster than I am does not mean you can win this fight. The way I see it this fight hasn't even begun yet, Bankai."

 _***SoD***_

Rose had been around for a long time, hundreds of years in fact. In all that time though he could honestly say that no one had been as unnerving as the being before him though. It wasn't his appearance, or his spiritual power. No it was the look in his eyes. It was the look of someone without morals or boundaries that had discovered something interesting that he wanted to 'play with'.

Shaking off the feeling the Visored decided to be a bit cordial and at least introduce himself.

"Hello there Arrancar-San, my name is Rose. What might you be called?"

"Ah the reports are true you are quite the gentleman after all. Well since you were kind enough to begin I shall respond in kind. My name is Szayelaporro I am the Ninth Espada in Lord Aizen's army. I am looking forward to this little act that we are going to be performing."

"Oh? I did not realize that we would be part of a show as well as a battle, how thrilling. Do tell, could we make it a musical number? I have always been fascinated with music and to add a bit of emotion into our duel there is nothing better than a song or two."

"I suppose that would be fitting, yes very fitting indeed. Well since you were the first to introduce himself I believe you should be granted the honors of the first to strike."

"How kind of you Espada-San," and with that Rose shot forward, swinging down his blade toward the left side of his opponent.

Szayel barely managed to dodge out of the way with a burst of Sonido before he was put on the defensive once more. A few more close dodges and the Espada was forced to hastily, and in a very crude fashion, draw his sword to parry a blow aimed for his chest.

"Impressive, though I will have to warn you that if you are having difficulties with me then the others will be far worse. Out of all the Espada my combat abilities are the lowest, the only reason that I am not the Diez rank instead is due to my special abilities and my knowledge."

Rose took all the information and stored it for later use as he batted away the pink haired man's blade and delivered a slash across his torso, causing the Arrancar to cry out in pain.

"Now that wasn't very nice, and here I am without a change of clothes. Though I will say that you have quite the outfit on, perhaps I will incorporate some of the frilly lace that you use in my new outfit once this war is over."

"That is quite the assumption Szayel-San. After all you make it sound as though you will be surviving this battle when you have barely been able to defend yourself so far. I think it is far more likely that you will be the one who does not return from this war."

"And I thought Yammy couldn't listen, oh well" Szayel muttered out with a sigh. "As I told you before, it is not my combat power that makes me an Espada, but rather my intellect and unique abilities that Lord Aizen has seen fit to bestow upon me. Allow me to show you what I mean."

"Sip, Fornicaras"

As the Visored looked on with a mixture of confusion and horror the Espada slid his Zanpakuto down his throat, and changed in a strange explosion of energy.

 _***SoD***_

Grimmjow cackled wildly as he clashed swords with the bloodthirsty Captain of the eleventh, again and again. Each blow they threw sent out waves of destructive force, cracking the nearby windows or even cutting through skyscrapers when they were close enough.

"This is great! I haven't had this much fun in months, what is your name Arrancar!?" Zaraki shouted out in glee.

"Grimmjow Septima Espada and you must be Kenpachi Zaraki correct?"

"Oh you know my name? Even better! It's like this battle was meant to happen, which means it has to be even greater than I thought it would be!"

Another sword clash and the two combatants came to a standstill, each trying to force the other back with raw brute strength. Kenpachi soon broke the tie though and sent the Espada flying into a nearby building creating a large dust cloud.

"Looks like I am stronger Grimmjow, I wonder if you have some other trick up your sleeve to make up for it."

As if answering the question the Arrancar appeared behind Kenpachi with a burst of Sonido, and kicked the Shinigami into the same building he had just emerged from, gaining a smirk while doing so.

"Oh my, it appears that I am faster Kenpachi, that strength of yours won't do you much good if you can't keep up."

The Captain emerged from the newly formed rubble, grinning as he again launched himself towards his opponent with reckless abandon. This time Kenpachi grabbed the blue haired man's Zanpakuto, bringing it to the side and slashing him across his torso.

Grimmjow responded in kind, by smearing a handful of his blood in his palm before extending it towards the man.

" _Gran Rey Cero_ "

A split second later a large blue energy blast consumed Zaraki, blowing him back through the nearby building, and leveling most of the sky scraper in the process.

"Damn it looks like you have been holding out on me. I've been hit with some strong Ceros before but I think that might have been the best." Kenpachi applauded as he emerged burned and injured after the attack.

"And you are still wearing that damn eye patch of yours, so I guess we are both holding back eh?" Grimmjow countered with a smirk.

The crazed Captain let loose a roaring laugh as he strode through the air towards his opponent.

"You got me there, so how about we both stop taking this so lightly and up the ante eh? You can use that second form you have been hiding, and I will take off this lovely restraint of mine."

Grimmjow only smirked, as he place his hand on his sword, while Kenpachi's hand moved to take off his eye patch.

 _***SoD***_

"Let's make this quick Arrancar. I don't have much time or patience to deal with you. From your spiritual power I would guess that you are not the strongest of your kind correct?" Kensei called out to Nnoitra, who frowned in annoyance.

"I am plenty strong you bastard! I am the Sexta Espada and I will not be taken lightly. The only result of this battle will be you dead at my feet while I walk away unscratched." The Espada boasted as he swung his massive Zanpakuto around, creating a whirlwind effect.

"Impressive, but I will say this if you try and start a wind fight with me you are going to have a bad day." Kensei called out.

"Blow it away, Tachikaze"

Kensei immediately called out, releasing his Zanpakuto. The Visored then rushed forward, slamming his elbow into the Espada, only to be surprised when he heard his opponent begin laughing.

"I thought I told you already, I will be walking away from this battle unharmed. Out of all the Arrancar I have the strongest Hierro. It is impossible for you to hurt me!" he called out before swinging his Zapakuto down, only for Kensei to dodge out of the way and try a slash with his knife down the Espada's chest.

The blade only created sparks though, as if the Arrancar had been made of metal, leaving him unharmed. As Nnoitra swung his weapon down again Kensei was forced to parry the blow, sending him reeling backwards from the strength of the attack.

In retaliation the Visored let loose several air blades to try and gain some distance and time. These attacks too just bounced off the Espada, who merely laughed.

"You call that an attack, that was pathetic! I'll show you an attack." As he yelled out Nnoitra extended his tongue and charged a golden Cero then released it, watching in satisfaction as it created a large explosion.

The Arrancar could only growl as his enemy appeared through the smoke, having donned his Hollow mask, unharmed.

"How about we try this instead Hollow." The silver haired man called out, and using Shunpo, appeared directly in front of Nnoitra, to deliver a slash across the Espada's chest, drawing blood for the first time in the fight.

Having leapt back he could only scowl at the Visored, annoyed that he had been injured by such a 'weak' opponent.

"So much for walking away unscratched huh?" Kensei taunted as the Espada growled in response.

"Pray, Santa Teresa"

 _***SoD***_

Ulquiorra analyzed the Captain before him. He was well aware of the man's skills and was concerned that he would not win in a straight fight. His opponent had more raw power, was better with his Zanpakuto, and was a Kido Master.

He knew that his only chances for winning would be to play to his advantages and eliminate any that his opponent might wield, that meant close range combat, delivering body blows to take advantage of the man's disease, and drawing out combat if possible.

"Say Mr. Arrancar is there any chance we could just take it easy for a bit. I am not one for combat and I would like to avoid it if possible."

"As nice as it sounds to avoid any further bloodshed I must decline Captain Ukitake. The faster I end this battle between us the sooner I am able to help my comrades, something I am sure that you understand."

"I do, I must say though that I am quite surprised that you know my name. Has your leader spoken about the rest of the Captains as well?"

"Briefly yes, but that is not important right now. As I said before I wish to aid my friends as quickly as possible."

'I didn't realize that Arrancar could have friends, perhaps they are more than just the mindless Hollows we were lead to believe.'

Suddenly the white haired man was brought out of his thoughts as his opponent vanished in a roar of Sonido. As the Arrancar remerged directly in front of his opponent he drew his blade in a underhand grip, making to cut the Captain's arm off, fortunately Ukitake had seen the attack coming and managed to block the blow, albeit shocked at the Espada's speed.

Unfortunately he had been forced to parry the attack with a strange stance, and thus was left open when Ulquiorra delivered a strong punch to the Shinigami's chest, staggering the man and allowing him to follow the punch up with a kick to his enemy's side, throwing him into a nearby building.

As Ukitake emerged from the rubble he found his opponent rushing straight for him. He quickly fired a Rikujokoro binding spell, hoping to capture the Espada and buy himself some time to prepare. Regrettably the pale Arrancar was able to dodge at the last second. Forcing the Captain into melee combat once more, this time he was more prepared and was able to block the vicious blow with his Zanpakuto before counter attacking.

As the two dodged and parried each other's attacks Ukitake quickly realized that although he had more power than the Arrancar did, due to his size the shorter man was able to use his agility much more effectively, even at the close range that the Espada had forced him into.

After a particularly strong sword slash which Ulquiorra was forced to block, Ukitake used Shunpo to gain some distance and release his Zanpakuto.

Although this would limit his ability to use Kido it would strengthen his offensive power greatly.

The Captain watched as his enemy sheathed his sword, much to his bewilderment, and charged once more towards him.

"You should leave your sword out Arrancar-San your blade will do far more damage than your fists will." Ukitake called out, as he swung his left blade toward the approaching man, who dodged nimbly out of the way.

In response to the attack Ulquiorra threw a punch toward the man's exposed chest, only to have his blow blocked by the other blade.

Just as Ulquiorra had predicted he would do.

Grabbing both of the Captain's wrists he sent a powerful head butt into the man's face, drawing blood and momentarily stunning the man. With his wrists still held and his arms crossed Ukitake could not conjure and direct any offensive Kido, nor could he Shunpo away. Instead the black haired man leapt up and sent a devastating dropkick to his opponent's upper chest, earning a gasp of pain.

Finally the Arrancar raised two of his index fingers from their grip around the Shinigami's wrists.

" _Cero_ "

Ukitake had taken a lot of hits in his time as a Captain, some from friends during sparring matches, some from his teacher, and some from Hollows. But he would definitely rate the two Ceros at point blank range as one of the most painful of all.

 _***SoD***_

"Well then I suppose we should get started eh? My name is Love Aikawa, Visored of Karakura town. Who might you be?" Love called out to his opponent in a friendly manner.

"I am the Lord of Hueco Mundo and rightful ruler of Las Noches. I am a God and all shall bow down to me or die before the end of this battle!" came the response.

"Ah well then I am honored to be in the presence of such royalty. Unfortunately I do need to kill you in order to help gain our freedom from exile. I do so hope you can forgive me Kami-San." The Visored replied, before drawing his Zanpakuto and charging forward toward the elderly Arrancar.

"Fool, you shall soon know what true power is!" Baraggan swung his axe at the approaching opponent, who dodged out of the way and launched a quick counter attack, which the Espada lazily dodged, and promptly delivered a slash across the man's back in retaliation.

Love shot backwards, putting some distance between them. He knew that his attack should have been faster than that, and that he should have been able to dodge the counter attack easily. But he had felt sluggish, like something had been slowing his body down.

"Ah so you finally see the inevitable eh? My power is the control over time itself. I can slow anything down so that dodging becomes more of an inconvenience than a life or death matter."

The Visored's eyes widened at that, slowing down time!? How the hell was he supposed to deal with that?

The only chance he had was to get in close and deliver a ranged attack that the Arrancar couldn't dodge even at that range, meaning it had to be strong enough to put the man down in one blow.

Releasing his Shikai and donning his Hollow mask Love used Shunpo to appear directly above the Espada, his weapon cloaked in flame and already swinging down releasing a massive fireball at the last second. As he planned the attack was far too close for Baraggan to avoid at that range, instead the old man took the full force of the blow, sending him into the ground below.

Panting the man then followed up a moment later by firing a fully charged Cero into where his opponent lay, creating a vast crater.

Standing in the air the Visored was still winded from the unexpected exertion as he began straining his senses to detect any movement from the large dust cloud and debris. A moment later his eyes widened in horror as the rubble seemed to decay into nothingness and the old man, replaced with a skeleton dressed in fine robes, rose into the air.

 _***SoD***_

"I suppose you should know the name of the one to end your life Hollow, my name is Byakuya Kuchki Captain of Squad Six."

"My name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, I am the Quinto Espada."

"Only the fifth in power, this will not take long then. I was hoping for a stronger opponent."

"If you are unable to defeat me what makes you think that you deserve a stronger opponent? I must say you do remind me a bit of Ulquiorra in terms of your tone of voice."

"I will teach you to be respectful of your superiors wench." With that Byakuya disappeared in a blur of Shunpo attempting to use his _Senka_ technique to end the battle.

Instead Nel shifted her body, dodging the blade and elbowing the man in the face, thereby pushing him back several feet.

"You have managed to dodge my favorite technique, impressive. Do not think that this means we are in the same class of existence though."

"You're right we are not. Where you seek violence and death I seek only peace, in this fact alone I will triumph over you." The green haired female replied, before leaping towards the man with her blade drawn.

Byakuya was easily able to parry the blow, but he found that his opponent dodged under his counter attack and followed up almost instinctively. She seemed to flow around each attack he would make as if she were a river flowing around a rock.

"I am curious Kuchki-San, why is it that you allowed your sister to die?"

Immediately Byakuya stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widened before a vicious kick was sent into his stomach, sending him crashing into a nearby building.

Emerging from the rubble a second later the Captain sent a glare towards his opponent.

'How does she know about what happened in the Seireitei? Did Aizen tell them? What purpose would that have though?'

His thoughts were interrupted as the woman charged him again. Quickly releasing his Shikai the Shinigami sent the petals directly at her, to try a ranged assault and keep his distance. Instead her hand seemed to glow a bright green and she slapped the attack away as if it were nothing, and then delivered a diagonal slash across arm he used to blow his torso.

"H-how did you…"

"Bala… it is a technique that we Arrancar have developed to make up for the charge delay in Cero. I was taught to channel it without release to enhance my physical abilities." The Arrancar replied. "But enough about me. If you will not answer my question about why you let her die then answer me this, why did you prevent anyone else from rescuing her? Surely there was no reason to seriously injure your lieutenant just because he cared about his childhood friend."

Byakuya's eyes widened again, before they narrowed and he release a very deep growl.

"That is none of your concern Hollow. You would not understand the laws and virtues of Soul Society. Your kind exists in a barbaric world where the strong eat the weak so it is not surprising that you cannot comprehend us."

"Strange that you claim to be virtuous and yet you kill your own siblings because you believe they are guilty, even when she was innocent in the end."

"She was not innocent! She broke our laws and that was enough for her punishment."

The woman became silent for a moment before muttering out, just loud enough for Byakuya to hear. "I think I would prefer the barbaric life over a place that executed the innocent just because others thought she should die, a place where you were forced to turn on those you were sworn to protect."

This time it was the Captain's turn to be silent. Then pointing toward the Espada he fired a Rikujokoro at her, impacting and trapping the woman in six beams of light. As she struggled to escape the man turned his Zanpakuto upside down, and dropped it.

"Bankai"

 _***SoD***_

Stark let out another sigh, this was certainly not his day. Although Lillynette had been amazing during her fight she had also passed out from exhaustion. Add to that the fact that none of the Espada were sticking to the plan.

Glancing over at his opponent Stark eyed the man in the pink kimono. Shunsui Kyoraku, one of the most powerful Captains in the Gotei 13, also one of the only three known duel wielders. The man was highly skilled in swordsmanship and Shunpo, as well as being a master tactician. Truly he was not to be underestimated. He was a danger that had to be removed before he could injure any of the other Espada, while Stark might be able to defeat him he was unsure if the any of the others could.

The Primera was sure that he wouldn't be able to defeat the Shinigami with just a quick all out attack, the man was too calculating for something like that, which meant that he would be stuck in a drawn out fight and unable to help the others for some time.

Sighing again in irritation Stark drew his sword and began preparing a plan for the oncoming battle.

"Oh my you seem very stressed all of a sudden Arrancar-San, is there something I can help with?"

"Actually if you could just stay out of the war that would help quite a bit," Stark replied.

"I am afraid I cannot do that, after all I am a Captain. How would that look if I just stood around and watched while the others defeated the enemy?"

The Arrancar let out a small smirk, they had no idea what the Espada were capable of.

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that Kyoraku-San I have a feeling that my allies will handle themselves just fine on their own."

"You know who I am hm? Well then I believe I am at a disadvantage, I don't even know who you are though I assume that the 'Espada' are what you call yourselves?"

"Very perceptive of you, my name is Coyote Stark and since I have you at such a disadvantage I will give you some very important information. All of the Espada are given a number to designate our rank and power. The lower the number the stronger we are. Did you catch all of that Urahara?" The Arrancar suddenly called out to the nearby man who had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Oh my my my, caught eavesdropping already how terrible of me. Do not let me interrupt your battle though Espada-San I am merely here to gather information and deal with your leader. Although any more information you would like to share would be most appreciated." The shopkeeper replied.

"That information wasn't just for you. I hope you will share it with all of your Captains. After all I want them to understand exactly how powerful their opponents are." Stark replied with a calculating smile.

Suddenly the Espada dodged backwards, well aware of when Shunsui had used Shunpo to try and catch him off guard, then retaliated by thrusting his sword towards the man's stomach, only for the Captain to dodge in response, switch sword hands, and counter slash towards his head.

Ducking under the blow Stark launched a kick towards his opponent's torso, forcing the Shinigami to bring out his Wakizashi to parry the blow. They then broke apart, eyeing each other for weaknesses.

This time Stark attacked, bringing his sword up for an overhead blow and, just as he predicted, Shunsui moved to parry with the faster Wakizashi. At the last second the Arrancar brought his other hand up, increasing the strength of the blow and forcing his opponent to use both swords to counter the force. At this range Shunsui had no time to dodge the Cero Stark charged and fired from the center of his chest, hitting the Captain at point blank range and sending him flying backwards.

After stabilizing himself Shunsui released his two Zanpakuto, preparing for the next stage in the encounter.

 _***SoD***_

"I am not quite sure I understand what you mean by 'Girl talk'" Sui-Feng called out to her opponent.

"Oh that? I just wanted an excuse to pound you into the ground. You and I have a bit of a problem, you hurt someone I care about and I am already in a very bad mood. One of those I have sworn to protect has been killed in battle and now I need a bit of stress relief. Unfortunately Nel called that stuck up prick Byakuya so I am stuck with you I suppose."

"Stuck with me? I wouldn't worry about that too much you monster I also have lost a subordinate today, that is one of the consequences of war. Luckily you won't be around very long to be concerned about it." The Shinigami replied, before using Shunpo to appear behind the Arrancar, going for a decapitation at the start.

Harribel had seen the attack coming, of course, and easily unsheathed her Zanpakuto, catching the Captain's blade in the hollowed out space and twisting her arm in the process. Harribel then sent the shocked woman flying with a punch to the face.

"You know I must say for being a Hakuda master you sure didn't do so well back there." The blonde taunted, further aggravating the Captain.

Instead Sui-Feng called out to her Zanpakuto and released its Shikai.

"It matters not, I will end this battle in two blows, and being that I am the fastest Shinigami in the Gotei 13 there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Again the woman vanished using Shunpo. This time appearing directly to the left of her prey and landed a blow to the woman's arm, before pulling back to deliver the final death blow. However she had underestimated her opponent and Harribel was able to take the split second to grab her wrist, squeezing painfully and slashed towards the woman with her sword.

Luckily Sui-Feng was a master of Hakuda and was able to knock the sword out of the way and land a kick into Harribel's ribs, forcing her to break the hold.

"I must say for being a member of Aizen's elite force you are pretty pathetic, thinking you can keep up with me is a big mistake." This time it was the Shinigami who taunted, earning a glare from the Espada.

***A/N***

That was part one of the big battle! I hope everyone enjoyed it. I hope I didn't make either side seem too overpowered.

A couple of things that might be brought up:

"Why the Espada aren't using their knowledge to just rip the Captain's apart?" Well 1. That would be boring if the Espada just decimated them. 2. Just because you are aware of another's weaknesses doesn't guarantee a victory. The Captains are still extremely powerful even if the Espada have the advantage. 3. Many of the Espada are just too prideful to use the information or consider the Captain's a threat this was true in the manga as well.

"Why isn't Ichigo and Wonderweiss there kicking ass and taking names?" It will be more dramatic if they enter at later times, also I feel like Aizen is the sort of leader to hold back on his "trump cards" until the time is right.

"Why aren't ALL the Shinigami fighting at the same time?" Well because they would probably stomp the Espada into the ground if that were to happen. Also many of them just want to cut Aizen to pieces and couldn't give a crap about the Espada.

I hope everyone enjoyed the new pairings that have emerged, it seemed a little boring to just stick to the exact same fights as canon so I swapped it out a bit, Shunsui vs Stark was just too good to change sorry.

Hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I loved writing this chapter!


	25. Twice the Pride Double the Fall

**Shadows of Deceit**

Twice the Pride Double the Fall

Again I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or read one of my stories.

***To all who think that I own Bleach, you are wrong, and I am sorry. ***

 _***SoD***_

"Now that is what I am talking about! Be enraged Ira!" Yammy bellowed, his spiritual power exploding outwards and his size increasing as he grew to meet his foe's new power.

As he reached his maximum size, along with growing multiple legs and a tail, the Espada roared out in challenge to his opponent.

"Now little man let's see who is the strongest giant of them all, your soldier or me!" and taking a step forward Yammy slammed his fist into the armored giant in front of him, hurling the Bankai through a nearby building. Sajin also felt the force of the blow, being that he was connected to his ultimate power, and was staggered as well.

Spitting out a small amount of blood the Captain glared at the Arrancar's new form.

"Not bad for a Hollow, but you will soon learn why Shinigami are the dominant force in this world, and why it is us who hunt you not the other way around."

Leaping forward in retaliation the giant nimbly dodged the tail swipe that had been sent towards it before delivering a massive punch to the Espada, stunning him momentarily before sending a vertical slash down the entire length of the monstrosity.

Yammy cried out in pain and anger as the Shinigami's weapon cut a large gash into his chest, and stumbled a few steps backwards, trying to regain his balance.

After shaking off the attack, Yammy charged forward to throw his entire weight into the Shinigami's full power. Using his increased momentum the Arrancar was able to ram the armored warrior through several buildings before Sajin was able to force the Bankai to brace itself and push back enough to stop the rampage.

Giving a swift push Sajin managed to throw the surprised Espada off balance, before beginning a devastating barrage of head and body blows with the Bankai's fists. As the attacks became stronger they also started to slow down between each punch, sacrificing speed for raw power.

Soon the opposing giant had enough and lashed out with his club-like tail, connecting with the opposing warriors head and sending a shock through his system before starting a bombardment of his own. Using Balas, the Arrancar began to pound the Bankai into submission, and severely bruising Sajin in the process as well.

Falling down to one knee Komamura glanced up, and saw that the Espada was preparing one final attack to finish the battle. The tenth Espada began charging an absolutely massive Cero in his mouth at near point blank range, presumably to finish both the armored warrior and the Captain connected to it at the same time.

In one final attempt at victory the Shinigami launched both of his Bankai's hands forward, pushing the charged doom blast back into the mouth of the beast and detonating it prematurely.

The resulting explosion shook the battlefield and sent waves of force crashing into the nearby structures, causing many of them to collapse as if struck by a massive earthquake.

As the resulting dust cloud cleared though the result was a badly damaged Sajin.

The secondary result was that the head, neck, and shoulders of his opponent had been completely destroyed, leading to the remains of the Espada slowly fading away into the air.

 _***SoD***_

Rose had found himself in quite the predicament. After releasing his Resurreccion, the Arrancar had proceeded to soak the surrounding area in a strange black substance. When he came into contact with it the goo had spawned several duplicates of the Visored which he was currently occupied with attempting to fight off.

Although the copies fought with his powers they seemed to lack any sort of tactic or strategy, rather they just copied his movements and techniques. Fortunately, the ex-Captain's primary strength was in his technique and improvisation rather than raw brute strength or speed, yet even with this advantage the blond haired man was slowly being worn down and receiving injuries from the three clones.

As the Espada watched in sick fascination the Visored continued to receive cuts over his body from the enemy Zanpakutos. Finally having enough Rose maneuvered the three copies into a small grouping, then instantly released his Shikai and launched it towards his three opponents, who released 'their Zanpakuto' as well.

Before his enemies could respond the former Shinigami activated his Shikai's special ability, sending a pulse of energy through the whip and releasing a large shockwave from the end, tearing the three duplicates apart.

Turning to the Espada Rose was rather surprised to see that he bore a fascinated grin, rather than showing any sign of annoyance or anger at his attack being defeated.

"Very good Visored, you figured out that my ability created clones that could only imitate what they saw rather than having full access to your powers. I am a bit disappointed though that it took you so long to figure it out, I was rather hoping for a more perceptive opponent, but it matters not."

Suddenly the Arrancar sent one of his wings forward, grabbing the Visored before he could retaliate with his whip and promptly spat him back out, further increasing the distance between the two.

Strangely enough Szayel now had a small doll in his hand as well, that resembled the ex-Captain.

"Well that was unpleasant, though I must say you have a rather handsome doll there. I assume this is one of the powers of your Resurreccion?" Rose called out, keeping his voice relaxed but secretly hoping to stall long enough to figure out the technique.

"Ah yes this is called _Teatro de Titere_ and it allows me to create life like dolls of my victims. The most interesting part is what's on the inside." The pink haired man replied, opening up the doll and taking out a small part labeled 'Kidney'.

"You see you and this doll are linked, behold." Upon his statement the Arrancar crushed the small part, causing his opponent to cough up blood and fall to one knee, gripping his side painfully.

"As I said, you are linked. Anything that I do to this doll will happen to you, which means I can test your fortitude and the internal differences between you and a Shinigami in a very interesting way. Wouldn't you agree?" the Espada continued, as he retrieved another part labeled 'stomach' before crushing it as well, sending another spasm of pain through the Visored.

"Well then it appears that the only choice I have it to eliminate you in a very violent and painful way you freak." Rose growled out.

"Bankai"

Szayel's eyes widened as he stood before two massive hands, one holding a conductors baton, and a dozen figures standing in the distance.

"Behold _Kinshara Butodan_ , it is beautiful is it not? Gaze well upon its features as it will be the last sight you will ever behold in this world, monster. You see from the very start you have been under my control, this unbreakable illusion shall rip your very soul apart!" The Visored exclaimed.

The only response he received was a small chuckle, which quickly grew into a full blown laughter, ringing out throughout the battlefield, and drawing all attention to the two combatants.

"Do you truly believe I would be unprepared for you? I am the perfect being, and with the knowledge I have the reign of the Arrancar has only just begun! Before this battle even began I made a slight and temporary alteration in all of the Arrancar you see before you. The portion of our brains that allows for the comprehension of melody and music has been temporarily disabled, and without this your music based illusions cannot affect any of us!" The man screamed in delight as he observed the look of horror on his enemy's face.

"B-but how!? Aizen never had any knowledge of my Bankai, how would you know the specifics of it?" The former Shinigami stammered out.

"Lord Aizen may not have witnessed your power but your precious Twelfth Division has! What do you think we stole from your pathetic SRDI when we infiltrated the Seireitei? Captain Kurotsuchi was kind enough to keep detailed information on all Shinigami capable of Shikai release or higher, including an in-depth analysis of each of you. With this data all of the Espada know the strengths and weaknesses of every Shinigami Captain and lieutenant. Do you see the hopelessness of your situation now? The best part of this is that your own comrades are the cause for your defeat!" Szayel cackled madly as the other Captains and seated officers could only stare on in shock, realizing that their enemies knew of every strength and weakness they had.

 _***SoD***_

"T-that bastard! What has he done!?" Sui-Feng gritted her teeth in rage as she heard the Espada's explanation.

"Quite interesting really, you were all so focused on us and other outside forces that you completely ignored your own, isn't that how we ended up in this situation to begin with? You failed to notice the 'treason' of three different Captains who were conspiring against you?" Harribel replied in a monotone voice that focused the Captain's glare on her.

 _***SoD***_

"CAPTAINS! This is not the time to dwell on the claims of one of our enemies. If this is proven true then it shall be dealt with at a later date, do not allow doubt to cloud your minds in battle!" The Captain General shouted, bringing each of the various officers out of their thoughts and focusing them once more on the battle at hand.

"You sound a bit unsure of yourself Commander, perhaps you are starting to doubt the integrity of all the various Captains of the Seireitei?" Aizen called out from his flaming prison, a condescending smirk present on his face.

"It matters not, first you will be dealt with and then this new problem will as well. If you haven't already noticed Aizen, your minions are barely able to hold their own even with this supposed information." Yamamoto responded with finality.

 _***SoD***_

"So what will you do now Visored? I am aware of every technique you can use, including your Hollow mask, and I have neutralized your greatest weapon." The pink haired Arrancar taunted.

Rose only glared grimly at the Espada. He knew that there was nothing else he could throw at the man that would be able to stop him in time before he could be interrupted with the Hollow's power. It was looking like the end for him.

"Nothing to add? Well then I suppose I will just finish you off and move onto…"

But before the Espada could finish his statement, nine black constructs appeared surrounding the man, with the final one directly on his chest.

"Bakudo number seventy nine, _Kuyo Shibari_."

Looking past the now bound Arrancar Rose gazed upon a sight that filled him with relief. The former Kido Captain Tessai Tsukabishi.

"Much thanks Tessai, I was getting a bit worried there." The Visored called out in appreciation, earning a nod in response from the larger man.

"Of course, it is an honor to help you Otoribashi-San. Now then, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" Tessai shouted out, firing a massive Electric blast from his hand at the struggling Espada.

The explosion was devastating to the surrounding area, and the target of the attack.

As the smoke cleared a minute later all that remained of the pink haired scientists were the charred remains of his wings, and a few pieces of his Hollow mask.

 _***SoD***_

Zommari gazed at his opponent, who was armored in his dragon like Bankai. He knew of the boy's potential, that he was a "genius", but it wouldn't matter. Geniuses tended to be over confident, especially when they were young and praised so highly. They were immature and inexperienced and thus easily taunted and tricked despite their intellect. The Espada also knew that the boy's speed did not increase with his transformation, but now that he had more ice to work with he could perform far larger reaching attacks, potentially getting around the Arrancar's superior speed.

The best way to end this conflict would be to use his Resurreccion and take him out before the Captain could establish a defense or effective counter for his ability.

"Suppress, Brujeria"

Hitsugaya eyed the transformed Espada before the Arrancar smirked and fired several of his 'Amor' attacks, hitting the Captain in various places all over his body, including his head and chest.

"It is over young Captain, now that my eyes have fixed their gaze upon you I can control your body, I told you that this battle would be over quickly. Now I can turn you against your own allies." Zommari called out confidently, at the blank gazed Shinigami.

"Good to know, I always do enjoy when an opponent explains how their abilities work when they believe they have won, and you are no exception." Called out a voice from behind a nearby building as another Hitsugaya emerged, and with a wave of his hand the previous 'controlled' copy melted into water.

"Once per battle I can make an exact replica of myself, I made it when you used your little transformation and you lost sight of me. After hearing that our abilities were known by you I figured that there was a reason you had allowed me to transform without interruption."

"Clever of you, unfortunately that will not save you from my power. You see even if you know how it works you are not fast enough to avoid my all seeing gaze."

Following the Arrancar's declaration Hitsugaya swung his Zanpakuto in front of him, sending a massive wave of ice towards his opponent, who merely sent a single shot of his power and took control of the attack, reversing it and sending it back against the Shinigami. Before it connected though it veered upwards, dissipating into the sky.

"I guess Kurotsuchi never had a chance to find out that my Bankai will never attack itself." Hitsugaya replied stoically to the Espada's questioning gaze.

"Perhaps, but you still miscalculated, while your own attack blocked your vision I have taken control of your leg." The Hollow called out.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he realized that his leg was moving on its own, and immediately froze it solid to prevent its' interference.

"You removed your leg so easily. I wonder though what you will do if you lose your arms?" Zommari questioned, as he launched another series of attacks towards his opponent.

This time the Captain merely raised a large ice barrier between the two, and watched as the symbols impacted the wall over and over again. Quickly formulating a plan in his head the young Shinigami created a small dome of ice around the Espada, completely cutting him off from the outside world.

"Your technique is quite a nuisance Hollow, but it does have one glaring weakness. It can only take control of what can already be controlled. The ice surrounding you though is just a structure, it has no energy circulating in it like a normal attack does and thus there is nothing to take control of. Now your greatest strength is worthless while I have complete freedom to remove your irritating existence.

A minute later the Arrancar could only watch in terror as a dozen ice pillars rose up surrounding the dome, and then moved forward to crush the container, and its occupant.

" _Sennen Hyoro"_

" _El Embrion_ " The Espada called out as pink sphere emerged from the rubble of the Shinigami's attack, bruised and bloodied but alive.

"I told you child you cannot defeat…" Before the Arrancar could finish his reply he found himself impaled on the boy's blade, having used the time between releasing his defense and completely emerging to charge the man.

" _Ryusenka_ " the Captain muttered out, as the Espada became frozen in a massive surge of ice, before shattering into the wind.

 _***SoD***_

"So what are you going to do now eh Shinigami? We know all of your tricks, your techniques, and your weaknesses. What can you possibly do to us now?" Nnoitra taunted the bloodied Kensei.

Even with his Hollow mask giving him superior strength the Visored had been unable to deal with the four blades of his opponent. With the additional reach that the Espada had it was making things even more difficult, Kensei could barely injure the Arrancar in his pre-released state but now he couldn't even land a direct blow to see if the same still held true.

Seeing the Espada charge again, the former Captain leapt backwards, while firing another blast of wind to try and knock the man off balance. This time he succeeded though, and using that temporary break vanished using Shunpo directly behind the Arrancar to try and land an attack to his unprotected back.

Instead he found himself cut deeply by two additional blades, apparently hidden by his enemy the entire battle.

Leaping backwards the silver haired man looked grimly down at his injuries. If the situation continued, he would die without inflicting any major harm on his opponent.

"This fight has drawn on long enough Shinigami. We both know that you have no chance of beating me. Even with your Bankai you will never be able to get in close enough to harm me without being cut to pieces."

"Can't hurt to try though eh? BANKAI!" the Visored declared, and following a burst of wind emerged in his transformed state.

His logic was simple, since his opponent had six blades he would need to break some of these in order to remove the advantage, or break the Arrancar's arms whichever was easier at the time.

Rushing forward in a burst of speed the Visored threw a punch forward, and predictably the Espada raised his blade to block the attack, only to watch the ex-Captain break through the weapon with ease. Unfortunately this had given Nnoitra time to dodge the blow, and slash out with two of his other weapons at the man's exposed side.

As the blades impacted into his side Kensei grabbed onto the insect like arms, and with a swift motion completely shattered the bones inside.

With a howl of pain the Espada delivered a kick to the offending man, putting distance between the two combatants, and regenerated his broken blade.

"You damn bastard! Now after I kill you I am going to have to rip my arms off to regrow them, do you have any idea how much that is going to hurt?"

"Well if it helps any, I can just rip all of your arms off for you instead? I was already considering doing it but now that I know you can regenerate them you just saved me some time, much appreciated."

"Enough of this crap, I have wasted too much time on you. I need to find a stronger opponent, one who can actually give me a challenge rather than one who just runs away from me the entire time like you do." The Espada shouted before charging at the man, swinging his remaining four usable arms in a whirlwind like motion to slice him into pieces.

The Visored started retreating backwards, not taking his eyes off of the advancing Arrancar but also looking for a break in the man's defenses. Suddenly he spotted what he was looking for, and used Shunpo to charge forward.

Laughing at the silver haired man's incompetence Nnoitra swept all four scythe like weapons at the same time, but found that they merely passed through the man instead of cutting him.

"Wha…"

Suddenly Kensei's arm wrapped around the Espada's neck, and his right hand slammed into the back of the Arrancar's neck breaking it instantly. The Visored then pulled his fist back and slammed it into the back of his opponent's head, putting his entire fist through the man's skull for good measure.

Glancing backwards he gave a thanking nod towards Shinji, who responded with a wide grin.

 _***SoD***_

As the two blood crazed adversaries battled both were laughing madly as they exchanged blows. Between Grimmjow's speed and Kenpachi's raw strength they had been fairly evenly matched without either taking the obvious advantage.

With a quick kick the Espada stunned his opponent for a second, before delivering a flurry of exceedingly fast punches followed by the Arrancar throwing him into the ground below, then firing a Cero to further destroy the area and cause additional damage.

Emerging from the rubble the Captain shot straight up, slamming his shoulder into his enemy and delivered a vicious diagonal slash across the man's chest, laughing the entire time.

As the battle continued it was slowly tipping in the favor of Kenpachi. Although Grimmjow was significantly faster and had ranged capabilities he would often charge into melee combat and received far more damage than the Shinigami following such confrontations.

As the two locked into melee combat once again Grimmjow managed to knock the Captain's blade back, before firing a barrage of darts from his elbow directly into the man's chest, causing him to cough up blood and be thrown backwards a bit.

"Seems like you are still holding back on me Grimmjow! I have to say though you might be one of my favorite sparing partners of all time. You are fast, strong, and you can take a punch!" Kenpachi complimented as he gave his opponent a vicious grin.

"You're not bad yourself Kenpachi. I knew after reading about you that I had to take you on, to hell with strategy and planning, battles are meant to be fun!"

"I have to agree with you there, and even though I am going to win this fight I hope we can do this again sometime!"

"Well then let's end this with one last attack to see who truly is the strongest!" Grimmjow exclaimed as he created several long blue blades with his claws.

" _Desgarron_ "

Kenpachi just grinned, as he raised his Zanpakuto above his head, and took ahold of the handle with both hands before charging forth to meet his opponent.

The ten blades met with the Kendo slash.

Bright blue met golden yellow.

Hollow met Shinigami

The explosion was immense as the two forces clashed. In the end Kenpachi was able to cut through the attack and land a devastating blow on the torso of the blue haired Arrancar, sending him falling to the ground below alive but unconscious.

 _***SoD***_

Love continued staring at the horrific Arrancar who stood opposite him. The Arrancar made no effort to attack instead it merely stood there, as if expecting the Visored to come to him.

"Arrogance…" Love muttered, but currently he had no way of knowing what the man was capable of. He knew in his unreleased state that he could slow down attacks, it stood to reason that this ability would be increased even further now. The even bigger problem was that he did not believe the same trick would work a second time. Surely the Hollow would be ready for it now.

Deciding to test the extent of his adversary's abilities the former Shinigami raised his Zanpakuto and launched another large fireball towards his opponent, who made no effort to dodge the attack as the blast seemed to fade away before it even reached him.

"Your tricks will no longer reach me Shinigami. I am time itself and all things, even your attacks, decay and die. Nothing you do will ever injure me nor reach my body."

"Oh? Let us see just how powerful you are then." The ex-Captain replied as he charged the Espada, pulling back his massive weapon to launch another attack.

" _Respira_ "

Love's eyes widened as the purple fog came rolling out from his opponent, deciding to risk it before it expanded too far the Visored swung his weapon directly at it, trying to dissipate the mist.

Instead his Shikai began to rapidly decay as the destruction spread further up the weapon until it neared his hand, at which point the man tossed it away and fired a full power Cero at the Arrancar.

Much to the target's amusement, and his own shock, the doom blast merely fizzled out before reaching him.

"As I told you before all things die, even a Cero only lasts so long. Just like the attack you attempted your time is now up." The skeletal man sneered as the miasma encircled the former Shinigami, cutting off any hope of escape and collapsing towards the trapped man.

Within a few short moments the mist receded, the only remains of the Visored being some tattered and rotting clothing which were swept away by the wind.

"Pathetic, no one can stand against the power of a God." The Espada remarked.

"Oh? A God you say? I am curious about that statement, how about we test your omnipotence eh?" A voice rang out, as the form of the Twelfth Division Captain appeared on the scene.

 _***SoD***_

After recovering from the point blank doom blast Ukitake had taken to the offensive. Using his two Zanpakuto to keep the Arrancar just out of hand to hand combat range the Captain had inflicted several deep wounds onto the man, only to observe them heal a short time later.

Apparently his regeneration was far faster than any Hollow that Soul Society had previously examined.

Worse than that was the revelation about the SRDI and their 'research' on the Captains. If they were aware of various Bankai abilities then surely Aizen's forces knew of his Shikai's special ability, which would explain the insistence on close ranged combat from his opponent.

Overall the battle was going in favor of the white haired Shinigami, but not by enough to win a quick and decisive victory, and that was what worried him. Eventually his sickness would catch up to him and he would be left helpless if he was not able to finish their duel and rest.

He had briefly considered using his Bankai, but it was far more useful in large group battles rather than individual fights. His attempts at Kido had been met with poor results, as well. Duel wielding swords made it difficult to use any high level spells and with his opponent focusing on his swords he doubted that he could surprise him with Byakurai or any similar ability.

In summary he was in trouble, he did not doubt he could win without a time limit, but the Arrancar seemed to know of this and was purposefully forcing him to use high amounts of energy with little reward.

Breaking the Captain out of his thoughts Ulquiorra rushed forward, aiming a kick for his side. Ukitake slashed his sword down in a counter attack, looking to sever the man's leg only for the pale Arrancar to punch the blunt side of his sword, knocking it away. He followed up by dodging the thrust from the other blade and fired a point blank Bala into the man's chest, followed by another, and another.

The Espada quickly launched a barrage of Bala as his fists blurred into motion against the sickly man's chest. This had been one of the techniques he perfected during his training for the war. He had developed the ability to enhance his fists with Bala, allowing a much stronger punch at close range, and allowing no time for the opponent to dodge the ensuing blast.

Unfortunately for the Arrancar Ukitake had managed to recover mid attack, and slashed across his chest with both swords horizontally, carving deep wounds into his torso and forcing them both to pull back from the small skirmish.

"I must say Arrancar-San, you are very impressive. I did not think that Aizen would be able to enlist warriors who could fight with such passion." The Captain called out trying to catch his breath from the barrage he had just suffered.

"Normally you would be correct but due to the ignorance of your forces we were given a reason to fight so passionately." Ulquiorra responded, also drawing in gasps of air and trying to focus his regeneration on the recent wounds.

"Our ignorance, what do you mean by that?"

"You will see soon enough, it is not only the trust you have put in your own allies that will lead to your downfall but your lack of vision as well. I have met others like you who had no plans for after their personal feud was over, all they knew was violence and death. That is the mentality for those who will perish."

Before the Shinigami could consider his words further the black haired man brought up his right finger and fired a green Cero towards him, allowing the use of his Zanpakuto's power for the first time in the battle.

As Ukitake fired the blast back towards Ulquiorra, who dodged it casually, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

'Why would he fire a Cero at that range if he knows my Zanpakuto's ability? That along with how he just dodged the blast made it obvious that he had been expecting the attack. If so he is just wasting energy for no reason.'

"It certainly is a troublesome ability," The Arrancar analyzed. "But it is not unbeatable."

Again the Espada raised his finger and charged a Cero, causing the Captain to once more raise his blade in preparation. This time though the pale man fired a condensed sphere of energy, rather than a beam.

" _Cero Granade_ "

Ukitake's eyes widened as the ball of compressed energy shot straight for him, he had never heard of a Cero variation, especially one that did not appear in the normal form. Perhaps this was one of the Espada's special tricks?

Again he absorbed the technique and redirected it, only for the sphere to detonate directly in front of him upon release, the explosion throwing him backwards and into a nearby building.

"It appears as though I was correct, your technique simply redirects the opponents attack rather than freezing it and firing it back out as your Twelfth Division theorized. Since that is the case it was simple to time the attack and have my Cero detonate just after it left your blade. When this technique was first explained to me I did not think there would be any practical application to a timed detonation Cero, I was mistaken.

The Shinigami emerged from the rubble of the building, burned and fairly injured, as he gazed in disbelief at his opponent.

"To be able to analyze my attack so quickly, you must be one of if not the strongest of Aizen's officers.

"Very perceptive, though I am sure that you received that information from Kisuke Urahara after Stark's explanation. You are correct, I am one of the stronger of my brethren but you may be a bit disappointed by my rank." As he called out his reply the green eyed man removed the part of his shirt concealing his rank, revealing the number four to the increasingly shocked Captain.

'He is only the fourth strongest!? But that means that there are three others even more powerful than him, if this is true I need to finish this fight now and help the others. Who knows what kind of damage they will be able to do, especially since he has not even released his sword yet.'

"Captain Ukitake, you should go and aide Captain Shunsui, if his opponent's spiritual power is any indication he is going to need your help."

Turning the white haired man spotted the child prodigy, Captain Hitsugaya, along with the Visored's Rose and Kensei approaching.

"Yeah we will handle this little freak ourselves." Kensei declared, cracking his knuckles and smirking.

 _***SoD***_

The green haired beauty had to admit, her opponent was much stronger than she would have thought he would be, albeit he was using Bankai.

As she dodged another blow she barely had enough time to recall how she had been able to break out of his binding spell only a split second before his initial attack reached her, surprising him for a second and giving her time to put distance between the two of them.

Now it was more like a game of cat and mouse, or 'dodge the ridiculously large amount of pink'. But slowly a plan was forming in her head. The information ascertained on him had in fact been correct, it seemed as though he was holding back his Bankai's true speed, which would be focused by his hands rather than his will alone.

Using this overconfidence against him Nel disappeared in a burst of Sonido, only to appear within his 'hurtless aura' that he had created for himself. As his eyes widened in shock she threw a punch into his stomach, forcing him to bend over in pain.

"You know it's very pathetic how prideful you Shinigami are, you believe that your power and rank will compensate for anything we lowly Hollows can do. Even when we know you weaknesses and strength's you refuse to compensate for this and instead stick to what you have been doing the entire time."

"Do not mistake pride for weakness."

Suddenly the pink petals rushed towards her, prompting both of them to flash away in order to avoid the onslaught, as he raised his hand for the first time since releasing his full power and dramatically increased the speed of his attack, catching her in the flurry and sending cuts all over her body.

"I have removed the 'hurtless aura' you undoubtedly have discovered and used my own hands to increase the speed of my attack. You will not reach me again. Though your speed is impressive it will not save you, I have already ended this battle."

" _Gokei"_

Glancing around the Arrancar cursed to herself as she realized the Captain had surrounded her in a large dome of petals without her realizing it. As he compressed it down the Shinigami made a final motion, causing the sphere to collapse and an immense shockwave to radiate outward, that he was forced to dodge.

"As I said, this battle was determined from the start, Hollow's should not try to rise up against their betters."

Just as he turned to leave for another battlefield a feminine voice called out from the large dust cloud.

" _Cero Racimo"_

A large sphere of energy resembling a Cero rushed towards the Shinigami, who glanced at it curiously, before it exploded into a large grouping of the same type of attack, completely surrounding him in a manner oddly reminiscent of the technique he had just performed.

Realizing the danger he was in Byakuya hastily recalled his Bankai to himself, completely covering his body in petals in a way of ultimate defense.

The attack exploded, shaking the buildings around them with the energy it released and sending a shockwave out that shattered all nearby windows in a flurry of glass and debris.

The Captain scowled in annoyance beneath his defensive barrier, had he been a second too slow he most likely would have been knocked out of the fight, perhaps even killed from the attack.

He had been taking this battle too lightly and if he continued to do so he would end up regretting it.

Sensing the dramatic rise of spiritual power from outside of his protection he curiously allowed part of it to fall off, allowing him to see the oncoming attack moments before it impacted.

A large lance-like Zanpakuto slammed into his Bankai, drilling through the defenses with ease and ripping through his side just as easily.

" _Lanzador Verde_ "

Eyes widening the Captain disappeared in a flurry of Shunpo, putting a great deal of distance between him and the now transformed Espada.

As he applied a healing solution to his side, he continued to reevaluate his situation.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of chuckling from behind. Turning he inwardly groaned at the sight, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki along with former Kido Corp Commander Tessai were standing behind him, the latter applying a healing Kido to Zaraki's wounds.

"I have only had one good fight so far, and I am itching to get another in before this war is over!"

 _***SoD***_

The Tres Espada was not in a good mood.

Not only was she fighting one of those responsible for hurting Ichigo but she was covered in these stupid butterfly stamps. She was well aware of what it meant if Sui-Feng managed to hit the same one twice though, so now she was forced to use ranged combat. It was an irritating fact that the Shinigami's speed did surpass her own and she did not want to be forced into her Resurreccion against only a single opponent, knowing that she would more likely be attacked by a few more soon enough.

Suddenly an idea formed in her head and as her opponent charged in for the next, potentially fatal, strike she swung her sword, firing a very wide Cero towards he opponent, who barely managed to dodge the attack at the last second.

The Shinigami appeared behind her, aiming for a spot the Arrancar's back which connected to a mark on her front. Even if Aizen had obtained knowledge on their Zanpakuto there was no reason to believe that the SRDI would know of this handy trick of Suzumebachi's as well.

As she stabbed forward the Espada disappeared in a blur of Sonido, leaving behind a strange glowing yellow orb. Her eyes opening wide in shock the stealth Captain realized what it was a second too late, and her arm passed close enough to activate the proximity trigger.

The resulting explosion was far too large for her to escape and she fell backwards, severely burned and cursing her lack of durability compared to other Captains.

Glaring at her opponent the black haired woman took this short break to catch her breath and take in the situation. Obviously she was faster and had been dominating the fight up until now. But the problem was that she knew that the Arrancar could release their Zanpakuto and become dramatically more powerful, and yet her opponent had chosen not to thus far. Was the blonde toying with her? Did she really not consider the Captain a threat enough to use her full power? The Hollow was covered in her marks and yet she couldn't seem to land a second blow to any of them, leading her to believe that the Espada was indeed more powerful than what she was letting on, the question was how she stacked up against the others.

Due to the communication device, she had begrudgingly accepted from that clown of an ex-Captain Kisuke Urahara, she discovered that Byakuya Kuchki was up against the fifth and Ukitake was struggling against the fourth.

This lead her to believe her opponent was somewhere in the range of sixth in power, it was highly unlikely that she was any stronger, or else the Shinigami would have received more injuries by now.

Her pride did not allow her to consider anything weaker than the sixth to be a match for her.

"Arrancar, tell me what is your name and rank in Aizen's army, I wish to keep a record of my kills during this battle and I will be starting with you."

"My aren't we confident? Considering how you barely avoided crashing to the ground after that last attack I would say you do not need to consider keeping track of any victories you may have. If you are truly interested though my name is Tier Harribel, and I am the Tres Espada."

'Third huh, maybe Ukitake is just off his game right now, or his sickness is kicking in. I should go and lend assistance after I am through with her. The best part is that once she is dead I can rub this victory in that stuck up Kuchki's face.' Sui-Feng pondered with a grin forming.

"I should have known, after all why would Aizen send anyone weaker than the third to fight the fastest Captain in all of Soul Society."

"Strange, I was under the impression that Yoruichi Shihoin was the fastest in Soul Society. Perhaps the information we obtained about her is wrong then?" the blonde spoke, louder than what was necessary for her musings.

"Do not talk about lady Yoruichi you insignificant bitch." The Captain growled out.

"Oh did I hit a nerve? The SRDI did mention that you were a bit sensitive when it comes to your old mistress. Perhaps she was more than a teacher to you after all? I wonder what she thinks of your battle so far. It is quite unbecoming of you to be covered in wounds and dirt while your opponent has not even released her full power, for being the 'fastest Captain' you sure are lagging behind most of your other companions in terms of ability."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK OF HER!" Sui-Feng roared as she shot directly towards her opponent, who dodged her enraged thrust and delivered a large diagonal slash across the enraged woman's torso.

'Pathetic, for being the head of their stealth force and a master assassin she is far too easily tricked and taunted into emotional attacks. I expected so much more from someone rated so dangerously by their science division.

Disappearing in another flash of Shunpo the Captain fell down to one knee, gasping deeply and applying a healing lotion to stop the bleeding from the wound she had received, cursing her own recklessness the entire time.

"Damnit! Lady Yoruichi will be most upset by my actions."

"Oh don't worry my little bee, after all your fearless leader is here to help!" Said ex-Captain called out from beside her, grinning at the dark skinned Espada as well.

 _***SoD***_

"This is becoming quite tedious Espada-San. Do you think you could have a little more black on your outfit instead of it all just being white and grey?" Shunsui asked jovially as he found himself locked into another parry with his opponent.

"Sorry, I actually had to alter my outfit to remove the color black from it, your color game is a bit too annoying for me to be dealing with at the moment."

"Ah so they did include information on me as well, that's quite a pity. The games are not as fun if you are prepared for them ahead of time after all."

"I do not consider this war a game, after all those who have fallen can you truly treat life and death so casually?" the Espada asked, break the contest with a burst of strength and pushing the Captain backwards.

"I have been around for a very long time, and if there is what constant in this world it is death. All things die and will continue dying, that is why we are here after all is it not?"

"That is the problem with you Shinigami, you think of nothing besides war and conflict. When given peace your first instinct is to prepare for the next war."

" _Bushogama_ " Shunsui called out, firing two wind-like blades towards his opponent, who merely fired a Cero in response, canceling the attack out.

"Aww you're no fun, you won't even play the game." The Captain sighed.

"I have no interest in taking any more damage than necessary during this battle. Even if you are one of the most powerful Captains, I need to defeat you quickly to lend aid to the others."

"If you are so sure of yourself then you must be one of the stronger Espada, eh?" Shunsui replied, hinting not so subtly at the Arrancar's rank.

"Fine, if you are so curious I will tell you," Stark called out, removing his glove and displaying the number on his hand. "My name is Coyote Stark and I am the Primera."

"Oh so I get the strongest of the lot, how very troublesome indeed. I suppose it cannot be helped though, old man Yama is waiting to deal with the traitors and I am second in command which means I would be stuck fighting the enemy general."

Stark only smirked at the knowledge that he himself was only in command when Ichigo was not present.

"Something amusing Stark-San?"

"Very much so, but why ruin the fun by spoiling the secret. That is part of the game is it not?"

Shunsui's grin became even brighter.

"That's the spirit!" The Captain replied before racing toward his opponent, this time though he tapped into Kageoni, creating multiple shadow copies of himself to attack from all angles.

Unknowing to him though the SRDI had also taken this idea into account, and listed it as a possible ability.

Stark merely chuckled, before he vanished in a burst of Sonido. Leaving behind a large glowing blue sphere, which burst into dozens more as the copies reached the space he once occupied.

The ensuing blast devastated the area, knocking down several nearby buildings from the shockwave alone.

Stark merely turned his body and dodged the attack that had come from behind him, as a burned and bleeding Shunsui emerged from the Arrancar's shadow and skidded to a halt, once more initiating a standoff.

"Oh my that was very impressive, if I hadn't shielded myself with my clones and escaped into one of them at the last moment I would have been in serious trouble, I still felt that one though." The man laughed.

"Indeed you really should not be so careless Shunsui." Ukitake called out, as he arrived by his best friend's side. "Normally I am all for one on one fights, but this is becoming far too serious to leave things like this to chance.

 _***SoD***_

The three imprisoned ex-Captains looked on as many of the fights began coming to a close. Aizen was, needless to say, fairly annoyed at the performance of his Espada. He had expected more than just Baraggan to have killed their opponent but it seemed like the weaker members had just been annihilated, even with knowledge of their opponents, and the stronger members were content with just fighting in the sealed states.

"Quite interesting eh Captain Aizen, I must say though I kind of expected a few of them to do a lot better. Seems like their pride got in the way in the end." Gin remarked in a happy tone.

"Very disappointing indeed, at least the top five are still alive and functioning though some are a bit worse for wear." Tousen added.

"You are both correct, but I believe it is time for us to take the field. This war has gone on quite long enough and I feel the need to stretch my legs a bit." Aizen replied, and extended his arm up into the air while making an open hand gesture.

This action immediately caught the attention of the Captains who had not entered into the battle yet.

"What the hell is Aizen doing?" Isshin muttered, eyeing the man with detest.

"Who the hell knows with that guy?" Shinji replied, immediately on guard.

Before Urahara could remark though, a large Garganta opened up in the sky, revealing a small blonde haired Arrancar boy and a massive Hollow like creature.

The creature released a large gust of wind, removing the flaming prison from around the three Shinigami as the boy made his way towards them as well.

"Very good Wonderweiss now for stage two of this war to commence." Aizen said with a smirk, as the remaining Captains drew their blades against the newly released traitors.

***A/N***

Hope you all enjoyed the second part of the Espada vs. Captain battles. I know some may be disappointed that the Shinigami seemed to wipe the floor with them but I had my reasons, mostly in that I dislike almost all of those Espada along with the idea they got whooped in actual canon something fierce.

Rest assured there will be more casualties on both sides before this is over.

Ichigo still isn't on site yet, I had considered throwing him in instead of Wonderweiss but it just felt too soon.

The war also seems to be escalating, I have always been a bit bothered by the "DBZ" philosophy of the one on one fight, and the group fights always were a bit more interesting to me so next chapter will have a ton of them.

So to answer a few guest Q/A's- They are battling in the Fake Karakura town setting. I had forgotten to mention this earlier but basically Aizen had them invade Soul Society rather than the Human world, to further keep Ichigo on his side, but halfway through the battles I realized that they were fighting in the skyscraper terrain so I just went with the "uh yeah that's how it works and such…"

In another interesting twist two of the more OP bullshit characters are now facing off, Baraggan and Kurotsuchi, wonder how this one will turn out…

Either way I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as I had a hell of a lot of fun writing it. Plans have been made for the future battles and I hope you all enjoy those as well, the epic is just starting. Trust me.


	26. Move and Counter Move

**Shadows of Deceit**

Move and Counter Move

As I begin this chapter I am at 100 favorites, over 130 reviews, and around 19,700 views. Holy crap that is awesome thank you all so much!

***I claim no ownership of Bleach. ***

*** _SoD_ ***

The Captain General was fairly pleased with the war thus far.

Many of the enemy forces lay dead or incapacitated. The remaining Arrancar, save for the newly arrived child, were already in battles and had already taken damage.

Now it was only a matter of time before they too fell, especially with the reinforcements that those battles had just received.

Unfortunately the three traitorous Shinigami had been freed before the rest of the combatants could be finished, although it did not matter at this point.

Now the eldest man stood beside Kisuke Urahara, Isshin Shiba, Shinji Hirako, and Sajin Komamura against only three ex-Captains.

Although Aizen's power was worrisome he was sure that it could be countered, and with his power and experience he was the perfect candidate to do so. Tousen was an average Captain with average skills and thus was the least troublesome of the three. Finally Ichimaru was called a genius, but so was Kisuke Urahara. All in all the Captain of the first Division was feeling very confident in the outcome.

Meanwhile the leader of the Arrancar forces was having a similar confidence. Sure he was outnumbered but quantity did not mean quality. There was a large rift growing in the enemy ranks and despite their superior numbers they lacked in teamwork and it would show soon enough. Then there was his secret weapons. He had no doubt that Wonderweiss would be able to nullify the Commander's powers, at least long enough for him to be removed from combat. With Tousen's 'enhancements' he would make short work of his former ally and perhaps even take Shinji with him. Gin was a Captain of the highest caliper and would undoubtedly be able to take at least one other opponent down should he be defeated as well.

Finally there was his secret weapon Ichigo Kurosaki.

The boy was still standing by, ready to make his entrance when the signal was given. The longer he stayed out of combat, and the enemy wore themselves out, the better his odds would be of absolutely decimating the remaining forces of the Seireitei.

With over half of his Espada still in combat, some not even in their Resurreccion form yet, Aizen knew that the war was far from over.

*** _SoD_ ***

"So you are the Arrancar that has given Captain Ukitake so much trouble." Hitsugaya called out, drawing Ulquiorra's attention to him. "I must say that he must be slipping a bit, you don't seem all the powerful. Perhaps you have been taking advantage of his illness? That would seem like the cowardly thing for one of your kind to do."

The Espada merely stared at the boy with a neutral expression in response to his accusation. Did his opponent really believe he would be taunted into attacking the man so easily?

It was almost insulting.

Suddenly the black haired man dodged out of the way from the attack made by the silver haired Visored. Then the whip Zanpakuto passed over him as he ducked under the wide sweeping gesture, his senses perfectly focused on the two who had tried to sneak around behind him while he was busy being confronted by the actual Shinigami. Again they insulted him, believing such a pathetic attempt would take him out of the battle.

Quickly he was forced onto the defensive again as the young prodigy charged in with his own blade, seeking to take advantage of the three way crossfire that the men had created. Now Ulquiorra was defending from the two melee combatants, while the blond man attacked at range, either covering for one of the two or seeking to exploit any weaknesses in the Arrancar's defense.

The tactic, although a bit clumsy, was working. The Espada had received several deep cuts as he attempted to mount any kind of offensive, and he knew that he would need to use his Resurreccion if he hoped to avoid being taken out of the battle so early on.

After a particularly bad teamwork attempt the stoic man sent a speedy Bala into the Captain's face, creating a small opening for him to Sonido out of the dangerous area he had been locked into.

Glaring at the three men Ulquiorra called out his release.

"Enclose, Murcielago"

With a flash of bright green energy the Espada emerged, completely healed and restored, in his Resurreccion form.

Charging at a blindingly fast speed the Arrancar passed by the two close combat experts and slammed into Rose. The Visored coughed up blood as the man followed up with a Bala enhanced punch, causing a great deal of pain to the man and throwing him backwards.

Although he sensed it coming Ulquiorra did nothing to divert or dodge out of the path from Kensei's air blast, knowing that without his Hollow mask the attack had no chance of hurting him. He was right, as the attack impacted and left the Espada standing without a scratch.

"This isn't good." Toshiro muttered out, as Rose managed to Shunpo back to the other two fighters and was trying to recover from the attack.

"That last attack didn't even scratch him, which means that if we hope to damage him at all with our Shikai's we will be forced to use our Hollow masks. Hell we will be forced into Bankai pretty damn quick and this bastard is only the fourth strongest." Kensei growled, earning a hesitant nod of agreement from his fellow outcast.

"Worse than that is they are apparently immune to my Bankai, which means that unless the time limit expires on that immunity I am not going to be of much help to either of you two. Even if that changes with all the internal damage I took from that pink haired monster I doubt I could sustain it for very long."

"Even more dangerous is the fact that we have no idea what this new form of his is capable of. I am sure both of you noticed that when they transform they gain different abilities, much like when we release our Zanpakuto. There doesn't seem to be any change in him so far besides the speed increase but who knows what he could be capable of now." Hitsugaya finished, as the other two focused their glares on the winged Arrancar.

"So what's the plan then?" Kensei asked, in a rare moment of humility he recognized that the boy next to him was probably the best one to think of a strategy among the three of them.

"I think I can get rid of him, assuming he has no ridiculous defensive capabilities I just need you two to distract him for a short time while I set up the attack."

"Alright kid, I just hope this works, I have a bad feeling that if it doesn't we are going to be in for a lot of pain."

The two Visored charged toward the transformed man, their teamwork flawless as Rose took the lead as performed a series of erratic attacks, throwing their opponent off balance as he tried to predict the assault while keeping his remaining enemies in his line of sight.

Kensei, however, had other plans and as he ducked behind the blond for a split second he released his Bankai, and surged forth to try and deliver a surprise attack. Instead he found himself punching the air as Ulquiorra was able to dodge sideways, his enhanced speed the only thing saving him from the vicious blow.

This had been just what the Visoreds had wanted though, and the Espada found himself entangled in the whip Zanpakuto of the now masked Rose.

The man quickly activated his Shikai's ability, sending a powerful shockwave exploding from the end of his weapon, causing mild damage to the man who received a much stronger blow due to being wrapped up.

The silver haired man had tried for another punch but this time Ulquiorra was expecting the surprise attack and nimbly ducked out of the way, delivering a powerful kick as the man passed over him. Afterwards he grabbed the Zanpakuto that held him and used it is a rope to swing the owner around several times before slamming him into his fellow outcast.

Just as he had the two Visored where he wanted them, and had cut his hand to charge a Gran Rey Cero, he found himself surrounded by a dozen large pillars of ice.

Cursing he glanced down and found that the child-like Captain had activated his Bankai on the ground below and used his distraction to perform one of his stronger abilities.

As the pillars began to smash their way towards him, the Arrancar fired off his enhanced Cero at one of the columns, shattering it completely and allowing him to make his hasty escape, much to the Shinigami's aggravation.

*** _SoD_ ***

Nelliel let out a curse as she dodged another attempted slash by the bloodthirsty Shinigami. Using Sonido she appeared a good distance from the man, but any counterattack was interrupted by her original opponent sending a wave of pink petals towards her, forcing her to dodge once more or risk being caught by his ability and further injured.

So far the battle was not going as she had planned it. She had been slowly accumulating injuries and had been able to do very little in terms of offense. The little she could do was either blocked by the Kuchki or interrupted by the Kido master who was still trying to heal the two Captains currently most involved in fighting her, much to her annoyance.

Overall the duel was not going well, albeit it could have been a lot worse considering the lack of teamwork from the two ranked Shinigami. Most of the time their strategy seemed to involve Kenpachi shouting at her while charging and swinging his sword while Byakuya would wait for an opportune moment to attack her, or just attacking them both at the same time and hoping to injure her more than the spiky haired man. Tessai mostly stayed away from the combat and would attempt to heal the two Captains when they were unoccupied.

"Damnit stop dodging around and fight me already! I wanted a good fight not some stupid game of tag! AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD KUCHKI IF YOU HIT ME WITH THAT PINK SHIT ONE MORE TIME I WILL SHOVE MY SWORD SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT YOUR ANCESTORS WILL FEEL IT!" Zaraki raged as he tried for another overheard swing, only for the Espada to gracefully weave out of the way.

Although it was considerably more difficult for the Arrancar to move gracefully in her Resurreccion state she still managed to do so, much to the aggravation of the Eleventh Division Captain.

"Perhaps if you would do more than simply charge her swinging your sword like a club then I wouldn't need to aim for her by going through you. Also it is becoming difficult to tell the two of you barbarians apart from each other. She might be a measly Hollow but your swordsmanship is unrefined enough to mistake you for one of their kind." Byakuya replied smugly.

This caused the man to come to a screeching halt as he turned his attention to his ally.

"Oh yeah!? Well at least I don't prance around like someone who is so afraid of getting dirt on his clothes that he needs to keep spare outfits on him at all times!"

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness, thus how you are even able to pass for a 'God of Death' I will never understand."

"Oh I'm sorry which one of us was getting our asses kicked by our opponent? If I remember correctly I already finished my fight while you were busy having chunks blown out of your torso!"

"If we are comparing fights then I would remind you that your opponent was considerably weaker than mine, thus the fact that you were so injured is not terribly impressive for the man who everyone claims is the 'strongest Shinigami'."

"Are you calling me weak Kuchki? Maybe we should put this three on one fight on hold and settle who is the stronger one here right now, hell you might even be a good warm up for when I beat your opponent after I beat the crap out of you."

As the two men were busy taunting each other Nel allowed herself some time to catch her breath and recover, as well as formulate a strategy. Obviously if the two went after her again the battle would eventually end in their favor, even with the two being injured and mildly low on energy they were simply too strong together to defeat. Add in Tessai, who was busy shaking in head in embarrassment, and she would be finished off before Ichigo even arrived.

"Gentlemen, could we please get back to fighting against our actual opponent?" Tessai finally shouted out, immediately stopping the two bickering Captains.

"Eh whatever, guess I can always cut the pretty off of Byakuya later." Kenpachi growled out. The nobleman in question simply ignored the comment and prepared to reengage his original adversary.

The berserker Shinigami again charged forward attempting to lock her into melee combat, which she promptly avoided and shot straight up into the air, intending to counter attack him from above or at least escape his reach. Once again she found herself hounded by the Sixth Division Captain and was forced out of the area with a burst of Sonido.

Unfortunately this was exactly what Tessai had been waiting for, and promptly unleashed another number 88 Hado spell, hoping to damage her in the same fashion that he had finished off the previous Espada.

None of them had been aware of her special ability, however.

Turning towards the spell Nel opened her mouth, and drew the massive electrical blast into her, before redirecting the attack, along with her own Cero, towards its owner.

The Kido master gazed wide eyed as the monstrous energy approached him, before Byakuya flashed to his side and shared a nod with the large man.

"Bakudo number 81, _Danku_ " the two Shinigami called out, creating a large double layered barrier in front of them.

The green haired woman growled in annoyance at the prepared defense.

As the blast impacted the wall the tension mounted, the Kido creaking and groaning under the stress of the attack before finally holding out.

Before either could switch back to the offensive the Espada maneuvered her way to Kenpachi's left side, and charged forward with her lance. The man barely had enough time to turn and attempt a counter before the weapon pierced his shoulder, causing massive damage to his upper torso and throwing him backwards.

Tessai immediately went to his aid, doing his best to heal the wound and cursing himself for not being more aware of his opponent.

"Bah the bitch caught me off guard. Gotta say though she sure hits hard when she actually does attack I am starting to think this fight would have been more fun if it had just been her against me without you two making her constantly dance around the whole time."

Tessai only shook his head as he went to work stopping the bleeding, and this time keeping his eyes on the remaining two combatants.

*** _SoD_ ***

The self-proclaimed God of Hueco Mundo gazed across at his newest adversary.

'These ants keep coming to their doom, perhaps once I kill this one another, more worthy, adversary will appear.' The Espada pondered, taking in the features of the Shinigami.

Undoubtedly he was a Captain, and if the information he had read in their briefing was correct then he would be the leader of the Twelfth Division.

Apart from that the man looked like an absolute fool. He was covered in what appeared to be clown makeup with a grin that would have made Szayel jealous.

This man was reportedly a Kido master, as well as being a 'genius' and master scientist.

Not that it mattered though, science stood on a lower level than God after all.

Finally the grinning Captain broke the silence, "So you claim to be a 'God'? You should know then that I must question your definition of 'God'. For you see to me there are two types of 'Gods' in this world. The one is the kind that the ignorant and weak cling to, the kind that is all powerful, all knowing, and all present. This is the kind of God that you seem to think yourself to be but in reality such a God cannot exist. For in order for such a being to exist one must concede that there is such a thing as perfection in this world, and that is impossible. Perfection cannot be reached but instead must constantly be the goal of all things, thus we never stop evolving, never stop learning, and never stop growing. The second definition of 'God' is the one that I and others of similar intelligence use. The state of being at such a high level of power in an area that one stands above all others. For instance Yoruichi Shihoin is known as the 'Goddess of Flash' because she is the fastest thing alive, a title well deserved. But she is not an all-powerful being. Rather she is simply the best in her chosen field. To me you are neither of these two 'Gods'. You are certainly not Omnipotent or the war would have been over already, nor are you the obvious strongest in any such thing that I can perceive. You have an interesting power, I will admit, but that is all you have. At least that is something far beyond some of my test subjects."

The Arrancar merely stared back at the man, ignoring his little tirade and wondering how the annoyance would look as his face rotted away.

"Actually I was hoping to get a sample of that miasma that you used against our dear ally, but upon analysis from my lab I deemed it unnecessarily difficult to obtain and store a sample of such a substance. Since, as you are most likely well aware, it even ages Kido to the point of nullification. Instead I hope you will be patient enough to allow me some field testing." The Captain continued, ignoring the silence of his opponent.

Having grown quite annoyed with the man though the Espada unleashed his Respira, the fog like substance quickly traveling forward to kill the annoying insect.

In response Kurotsuchi fired a low level Kido spell into the mist itself, taking note of the various properties of the interactio, before fleeing with a burst of Shunpo.

"Very interesting indeed." The sadistic man muttered, as if doing calculations in his head, while the older Arrancar just growled at being ignored.

Again he launched another wave of miasma, this time his opponent created several different barriers in front of him before traveling a safe distance and taking notes of the interactions.

"Do you deem me as some sort of lab rat you pathetic excuse of a 'God of Death'!?" The old man shouted out, losing his calm at being observed so casually.

"Yes"

The reply was blunt and abrupt, shocking the Espada into silence for a moment. This was quickly replaced by anger though. How dare a lower life form, such as this freak, treat him as if he was not a threat!

This time would be different. This time the clown would not be able to dodge his attack, because this time he would trap the foolish man before melting him away with his undeniable power.

Sending forth another onslaught of Respira the Espada enhanced its speed. He knew that the Captain was below average in terms of his Shunpo and would not be able to dodge out of the way in time.

Instead the Shinigami simply remained motionless as the thick fog came charging toward him. Just before it made contact the man took out a small pinwheel looking device before a large oval barrier appeared around the miasma, completely trapping it inside.

"Hm very interesting, it appears that my research on the girl did in fact lead to a viable containment device. Well either way I suppose I have learned as much as I can from your technique, the only thing left is to determine whether or not it will dissipate when you die. If not I have a viable sample to continue studying, if it does then it was quite worthless to begin with."

"You think you can harm me now freak!? I am a God! Nothing you do can even reach me much less injure one as powerful as I am!" Again the Espada lost his composure at the man who dared to tread upon the realm of the Gods.

"I suppose we will see soon enough eh? Bankai"

Baraggan merely laughed at the man's incompetence, he had studied his Bankai and there was no feature that it wielded that could injure him, it was a rather pathetic weapon.

"Haven't you heard? We know all of the Bankai's strengths and weaknesses from your own analysis I know every trick you already have."

"Ah so then what I heard was true. I wonder how this will affect the outcome of this battle then, and what will happen afterwards." The painted man mused as his abomination of a Bankai came into existence behind him.

"Either way it doesn't really matter, only a fool would believe that my Bankai would stay stagnant and never chance. You see I observed your battle before arriving here and made some slight adjustments to it. Now we will see who is indeed stronger, God or science!"

With that declaration the enormous created spewed forth a thick gas towards the Espada, who made no move to counter it but instead released his own Respira as if to challenge the attack.

"FOOL! All things age and die even the poison that this creature contains." The Arrancar shouted, expecting the green gas to immediately dissipate. Instead it seemed to grow thicker and continued rushing towards him quickly overtaking the man who had never developed his skill in Sonido, never having the need to do so.

"Ah how right you are, but that gas is no longer classified as a poison. Instead it is a mist composed of a single virus. This new organism, which I created, naturally and rapidly reproduces as it ages, thus all you are doing is creating more with your own powers."

As the newly identified virus overtook Baraggan the man fell forward onto his knees, quickly feeling the effects of the contagion and soon began coughing up blood as his organs shut down.

"Interesting though, I thought that I had learned all I could from you but it seems as though your insides are not under the same power as the area around you. I wonder if even you are vulnerable against your own powers. Ah well not that big of a loss either way. Goodbye Arrancar, hopefully your last thoughts will be realization that you are no closer to being a God than any other Hollow that has existed."

With that the man fell from the sky, the last of his internal systems shutting down and his life ending.

*** _SoD_ ***

Stark parried another attack sent from the black haired Captain, before jumping back from the stab that his new opponent sent at his exposed flank.

The Espada growled in annoyance, it had been bad enough just dealing with Shunsui but now he had to fight Ukitake as well. At least Ulquiorra had managed to injure the man during their battle, thus slowing him down a decent amount otherwise this battle would be going much more poorly than it currently was. Even with this small advantage the Primera had received numerous injuries and was starting to feel himself weaken against the two powerful opponents.

He had been hoping to put off using his Resurreccion for a bit longer, drawing out the fight between himself and his original opponent, but now he would be forced to transform just to keep the fight from progressing as it had thus far. The only problem was that he knew what Ukitake's Shikai was capable of and it was annoying to say the least.

Still his new form would allow him to duel wield as well as giving him a speed and strength boost, hopefully enough to compensate against the two men.

As the flower cloaked Shinigami rushed forward, Stark threw his sword at the man causing him to go wide-eyed and dodge at the last second, but still received a nasty cut to show for it.

"Bad idea Espada-San now you are defenseless." Kyoraku scolded as he shot forward, intending to end the life of the Arrancar.

Smiling Stark waited until the last second before extending his hands to his sides in a pose that was reminiscent of a cowboy reaching for his holsters before calling out.

"Kick about, Los Lobos"

In a blinding explosion of blue energy Stark emerged, his Resurreccion changing slightly since his encounter with Ichigo. He no longer bore the Hollow mask on his face, and now wielded pistols that took on the appearance of revolvers, rather than the ornate pistols he had before.

Before Shunsui could react Stark had pointed the left weapon at him, and fired a powerful blast of Cero hitting the man square in the chest and pushing him backwards a great deal, as well as badly burning his torso.

"Now that was a powerful blast Espada-San, I didn't realize that you could enter this form without your Zanpakuto." The Captain praised jovially.

"I am unique among Arrancar in that I have always been able to. The only difference now is that I no longer need my Fraccion to do so as I previously did."

"Interesting, what do you think Ukitake?"

"Quite a powerful ability indeed Shunsui, I must apologize though Stark-San. I did not want to get involved in your fight with my friend here but as a Captain of the Gotei 13 I cannot allow my feelings of honor to get in the way of the role I have been assigned."

"Interesting, is that what you told Rukia Kuchki when she was about to be executed?" Stark asked curiously, watching as the white haired man immediately froze up, his eyes wide in shock.

"Oh you don't really think that the only information we have is purely from the Twelfth do you? We know all about what you have been doing for the last several decades at least, although most of it is useless information some was quite interesting." The Espada continued while Shunsui's eyes narrowed at the Arrancar.

"You seem to have become quite proficient at failing your subordinates first Kaien Shiba then Rukia Kuchki. I wonder if you that is why you kept your two third seats out of the conflict, hoping to avoid failing them as well?" The Primera finished, before lifting up his pistol and firing directly at the stunned Shinigami.

It was only due to the man's ally pulling him out of the way that he remained unharmed

"Focus Ukitake he is trying to get in your head and with as powerful as he seems to have become I am going to need your help on this one." The dark haired man urged his friend, keeping his eyes on their opponent the entire time.

"Right, yes of course my apologies I can feel sorry for myself later."

Again the Captain of the Eighth Division charged forward, intending on bringing the Espada into melee combat.

Stark fired in response, realizing a split second too late that the other Captain was behind him, allowing the man to use his Shikai's ability to redirect the blast, forcing Stark to quickly dodge out of the way. Just as the intel had warned, though the teamwork between these two experiences Shinigami was on a level above anyone else. The second Stark had dodged he was attacked from his shadow, stabbing into his back before he had time to dodge the surprise thrust.

Using Sonido the Arrancar put a good deal of distance between him and the two Captains, glaring at the two as Shunsui emerged from the shadow caused by his redirected attack.

'Even if I plan on him doing that again I know he can just send his blades through the shadow so there is no point in trying to counter him directly.' The Primera pondered, trying to come up with a strategy against the two experienced warriors.

Seeing no way around the two, at least at range, Stark flipped the two handguns into their respective holsters, and then extended his hands once more to call upon another ability of his Resurreccion.

" _Colmillo_ "

Summoning his two pure blue energy blades the Espada took on a duel wielding stance before preparing himself to engage his opponents once more.

*** _SoD_ ***

Sui-Feng could not help but grin. Despite all of her Onmitsukido training, and her status as a Captain trying to suppress outward emotion, she was so ecstatic on the inside that her feelings demanded expression.

Her and Lady Yoruichi, together again and fighting side by side against a common enemy. Not only that but they were knocking the bitch around with their superior speed and she had yet to land any real blows on either of them now that the battle had become two on one.

Part of her, of course, was upset that she was required to have aide in order to win, that they were forced to team up and take this woman down whom she could not finish by herself. But that part was ignored by her logical side which screamed about duty and her role in the Gotei 13 to protect Soul Society from all enemies no matter the cost.

The two warriors had taken a short reprieve from the beating they were giving their opponent and were now gazing across at her while she took in deep breaths, recovering from her numerous wounds and bruises.

"Just like old times eh little bee?" Yoruichi called out to her ally, earning a small blush from the girl.

"Yes Lady Yoruichi."

"Aww come on you know I was never one for pet names." The dark skinned woman pouted. "Tell you what, after this is all over how about the two of us spend some time together and just catch up? I wasn't able to see you like I had wanted to during the whole Rukia incident and I miss my cute little former apprentice."

Said dark skinned Arrancar glared at the two, knowing that she would never be able to continue the fight in her current state but wanting to prove herself to Ichigo, and her friends, in some way by winning without the use of her Resurreccion.

Sighing in defeat, and realizing how ridiculous her idea now was, the woman held out her Zanpakuto straight down, and shouted out to her enemies.

"Destroy, Tiburon"

The two women watched in shock as she was cocooned in a heart shaped sphere of water, before cutting her way in with a massive increase in spiritual power.

"Since the two of you seemed so assured of your victory I thought it would be time to stop messing around."

Raising her new weapon Harribel gathered a large amount of energy to it, causing it to be coated in a golden light before swinging it down, slicing her newest opponent in half vertically with a single attack.

" _Trident_ "

The Second Division Captain looked on in horror as Yoruichi fell backwards… and then turned into an orange coat with a poof of smoke.

The real Yoruichi appeared behind the blonde with a blur a Shunpo, launching a devastating kick and throwing the Espada into a nearby building.

"Phew that was a close one, glad to see that I am not as out of shape as I thought eh Sui-Feng… Sui-Feng?" the cat-like woman glanced over at her former pupil to see the woman stealthily wipe the tears from her eyes.

"U-um of course y-yes Lady Y-Yoruichi."

Said woman could only respond with a small warm smile at the overreaction that her apparent death had caused and the apparent emotion that the stealth leader still held towards her.

"Quite impressive Yoruichi Shihoin. I had heard of your infamous Shunpo techniques but I never thought that I would see one personally." The Arrancar applauded as she returned from the debris.

"I think it is time that we ended this battle, even if your transformation rid yourself of my stamps from before I will show you what I can truly do in terms of speed, _Shunko!_ " the petite girl called out before being enveloped in a wispy spiritual energy and disappearing in a flash before the other two combatants eyes.

Suddenly she appeared before Harribel, already having delivered a single stab to the woman and inches away from delivering another.

The blonde could only widen her eyes in shock as the stinger thrust forward, and although the Espada dodged backwards she still received a stab in the same spot as before, earning a vicious grin from her opponent.

"It is only a matter of seconds before you perish Hollow, nothing can withstand two strikes from Suzumebachi."

Instead the blonde calmly looked back up into the woman's eyes before raising her weapon and firing a large bullet of water at the surprised Shinigami.

" _La Gota"_

The impact shot the Captain backwards and into a nearby building, completely destroying the top part of it while causing heavy damage to the impacted woman.

Emerging back at her companion's side a few moments later Sui-Feng was heavily bruised and bleeding.

"H-how? You should be dead!" the Second Division Captain stammered out, and watching in horror as the woman revealed a coating of water surrounding her body.

" _Armadura Acuatico_ "

The woman replied, as if that completely answered the question. Seeing the continued puzzled look on the woman's face Harribel let out a deep sigh.

'How in the world did they push us this far if they cannot figure out something this simple?' she wondered.

"I can coat my body in an extremely dense barrier of water, essentially your first strike did hit, the speed was quite impressive after all, but by the time you hit with your second I was able to shield myself from the impact. Since you have to hit the same spot twice I can concentrate the water to the vulnerable spots and with the lack of power behind your blows you are not strong enough to pierce through the armor." The Espada explained in annoyance.

Once again coating her weapon in water the Arrancar aimed towards her two opponents and launched a barrage of shark toothed shaped blasts, forcing the two women onto the defensive for the first time since they had joined forces.

*** _SoD_ ***

"Do you truly believe that one additional ally is going to make any difference Aizen? This war has already been decided. The loss of half your Espada has already crippled your forces and now, with the Captains teaming up, the rest will fall in short order." The Captain Commander exclaimed at the newly released traitors and the small child they had brought in for reinforcements.

"Ah but you see it is not just power that decides outcome of a war. You have too long been under the notion that just because you have the most powerful soldiers that you cannot be defeated, I am here to show you that this is not true. It is intellect that wins battles along with the preparation that comes from it." Aizen replied, earning a glare from the old man.

"Very well, then let me show you how wrong you are Aizen! Reduce all of Creation to Ash, Ryujin Jakka!"

A second later the flames from the oldest and most powerful Zanpakuto in existence roared to life, threatening the three renegade Captains with incineration should the take even a single step forward.

"As impressive as always, however you did not truly believe that I would let something as powerful as your Zanpakuto go without developing a counter to it? Behold the true power of Wonderweiss." The rebel leader declared, pointing toward the former child-like Arrancar that was now revealed in his Resurreccion state.

Instantly the flames from the man's blade vanished along with the blade itself, leaving a group of stunned Shinigami in its wake.

"As I have said before, it is not just the power of the force that determines the outcome it is the…" But before Aizen could finish his statement the Arrancar groaned out in pain, as red and yellow streaks of light began firing out of his body.

"What is happening!?" The no longer stoic ex-Captain roared in confusion.

"Oh my my don't be alarmed Aizen-San after all it is just as you said 'intellect wins battles along with the preparation that comes from it'." A joyful voice called out as Kisuke Urahara strode forward to the allied leader.

"Kisuke Urahara, what have you done?" the former Fifth Division Captain growled out through gritted teeth, his plans coming undone once more due to the man's interference.

"Simple really, I knew that since the old man was the strongest of our forces that you would undoubtedly try and remove his power from combat. What better way than to remove his Zanpakuto after all? So I created a seal and placed it on his soul so that should his power be sealed in anyway it would activate and break down all barriers confining it." The shopkeeper answered with a friendly smile.

Seconds later intense flames ripped out of the Arrancar's body, destroying large portions of it and leaving the creature barely hovering in the air. The flames then returned to their previous owner, once again forming his legendary blade.

"Normally I would be quite angry at your Kisuke Urahara, for placing a seal on me without my knowledge, but considering the results I will let it slide this one time." The eldest Shinigami muttered out before turning his attention once more on the brown haired man. "Now then what were you saying about power Aizen Sosuke?"

*** _SoD_ ***

hereyu

The sound of metal rang out as Gin and Shinji traded sword blows. The Visored had not been happy with being "stuck with the creepy looking one" but had reluctantly agreed after the old man squared off with Aizen, and Komomura demanded a fight with Tousen.

Kisuke and Isshin were currently sitting on the side lines, waiting to see if their intervention would be needed in any of the fights.

"So the fated rematch has finally begun, Gin Ichimaru against Shinji Hirako, Visored against Shinigami, ex-Captain against ex-Captain, in a fight to the death!" Ichimaru happily spoke as the two continued their battle.

"What the hell are you talking about? We never had a first battle so how can we have a rematch?" Shinji exclaimed, much to the amusement of the grey haired Shinigami.

"Oh but we have Shinji-San. Our battles have been of wits and intellect, a battle of the minds in which your plans have been foiled time and again by me and my plans have been shattered by your own natural leadership and skill."

"SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" The blond haired man charged forward with a powerful slash, only to be dodged at the last second by his opponent who seemed to skip away happily.

"What is wrong with me? Why whatever do you mean Shinji-Kun. I am simply remembering out past duels, as legendary as they are in the annals of Soul Society. Surely you haven't forgotten the time when I was walking down the hallway and you glanced at me, allowing me to give a slight respectful bow back? The greatness of that moment shall be carved into the mountains for all time!"

"What are you even fucking talking about!?" Again Shinji tried to force Gin into a swordsmanship battle but the man seemed to dodge away every time, as if he was just playing around with the idea of the fight rather than actually taking it seriously.

"You wound me Shinji-Chan, you wound me deep. It is heartbreaking to think that you would throw away everything we have been through together, every trial and tribulation, all of the pain and suffering we have inflicted on each other just to try and catch each other's attention. Every time that you confessed your love for me only to withdraw it a moment later for fear of prying eyes and ears." This time the pale man took on a very serious face, placing his hand to his forehead as if he was lightheaded with distress.

Shinji found himself developing an eye twitch of epic proportions.

Seriously what the hell was this man talking about? Did the Visored leader secretly have a stalker that he had never known about until now? No that couldn't be true, he liked to think of himself as a fairly observant and level headed guy but this was just…. What the fuck was going on?

*** _SoD_ ***

The duel between friends had resulted in a stalemate so far, with Tousen being faster and more agile, and Komamura who had vastly superior strength and durability.

Unfortunately the giant had already been through a fight and was thus injured and tired by the time he had engaged his former ally.

"Why Tousen, why did you forsake us? What made you turn away from your path of justice for this mockery?"

"You do not understand Sajin. I have always walked the path I am on now. It simply twists and turns in ways you can not perceive. I fight against the injustice of the Soul Society, a civilization that promotes war and desolation. What is it that you fight for old friend?"

"I fight for peace! Do you truly believe that this war, this rebellion of yours will bring peace in the end? Even if you are victorious all you are doing is promoting chaos and anarchy! Who will watch over the human world and protect them from Hollows with the Shinigami gone? Who will safeguard the Soul Society?"

"I find humans to be unworthy of saving. They are far more warlike than any of us, or even Hollows. Look at their society Sajin they focus on violence and debauchery. Why is it that the upper levels of the Rukongai are so terrible? The answer is simple, without guidance humanity naturally falls back into its default state, which is war and desolation. Tell me are you truly content to just sitting back and watching the cycle continue?"

"No, you are right humanity is not perfect not by any means or definition. But I believe they are worth protecting and saving."

The two continued to clash before the blind man leapt into the air, and spinning his sword around in a circle he called forth an attack that the anthromorph knew all too well.

" _Benihiko_ "

As the blades materialized the man launched the barrage down towards his former friend, watching with a cold emotionless gaze. As the smoke cleared it revealed Komamura had summoned his Bankai, and used its hand to block the blow, before launching a massive punch towards his opponent.

Dodging gracefully the man flashed away a good distance, before returning to a neutral stance.

"What now Tousen? We both know you are too far away to use your Bankai, and even if you did I could simply smash the entire area until you are beaten."

In response the dark skinned man merely held his Zanpakuto upside down before unleashing his trump card.

"Resurreccion, Grillar Grillo"

While the Captain watched on in horror, Kaname began his transformation in to a hideously large insect-like Hollow, before turning its horrific gaze onto the Shinigami.

"Kaname… what have you done to yourself?"

"A gift from Lord Aizen, now you shall see my true power Sajin, and I shall see the look on your face when I tear you to pieces!"

The monster shot forward in a burst of speed, snapping his enemy out of his trance who proceeded to swing his Bankai's blade down to the approaching creature, only to have it blocked at the last moment.

Without the slightest bit of hesitation the creature lifted up one of its free claws, while drawing a circle in the air, and created a green ring of energy.

" _Los Nueve Aspectos"_

The hideous voice called out, before sending an intense blast of sound into the Bankai's chest, causing massive damage to the Captain as well.

As the giant soldier fell backwards the former Shinigami then began charging a powerful green Cero in front of it, this time aiming for the injured Shinigami himself.

A shout from behind though brought him out of his concentration, as Isshin Shiba charged forward, his sword raised above his head and a swirl of blue flame beginning to encircle it.

Realizing the danger he was in, Tousen redirected his attack toward the oncoming outcast, and fired it.

He watched, with his new eyes, shocked as the attack seemed to pass right through the man. Only then did he catch the bright smile of the Visored leader standing far behind, spinning his Zanpakuto in circles.

The attack nearly cut the creature in half vertically.

As he fell back towards the ground, his transformed state fading away, Tousen could only ponder the choices he had made up until now. Had he truly walked down the path of justice that he claimed, or was he simply seeking the vengeance he had so fervently denied?

The last thoughts to pass through his mind before he hit the cold ground, and fell into death, was that it truly had been his eyes which caused his downfall. Had he only focused on his sixth sense he would not have been deceived by the ex-Captain's ability.

*** _SoD_ ***

Wonderweiss had tried to engage Kisuke Urahara after a few moments of recovery, only to find the ex-Captain prepared for his attack.

Dodging to the side he fired a wave of crimson energy, causing immense damage to the already injured Arrancar.

Wonderweiss continued charging forward though; ignoring the damage and impaling the man with his hand, only to have the figure pop like a balloon.

As the blond creature looked around in a confused fashion the Shinigami used Shunpo to appear behind him, decapitating him with his blade with a regretful look on his face.

"My apologies Arrancar-San, but with Aizen free I cannot afford to waste time playing with you that I normally would have. I am sorry that it had to come to this though, as childlike as you were it is like you were still a threat to us."

The shopkeeper removed his hat momentarily, placing it over his head and giving a slight bow to the fading corpse before turning back to the Commander's battle with Aizen.

*** _SoD_ ***

"My my, what do we have here?" Captain Kurotsuchi asked out loud, as he strode towards the group of recovering Fraccion.

The ones who could immediately took defensive stances, albeit it was clear they were injured or low on power.

"What do you want bastard?" Apacci growled at the approaching man.

"I was just curious what a fine group of specimens like yourselves was doing sitting on the side lines, after all our lieutenants are being healed as we speak and look as though they plan on aiding their comrades once they recover. Yet you all seemed resigned to simply sitting and watching the remains of the conflict."

"We were told to stay out of the fighting once our stage was over." Pesche replied, remarkably serious for once, knowing exactly who the Shinigami was.

"Oh? Well that is too bad, I wasn't able to collect many samples from the Espada before he faded away so I was wondering if I could use all of you as my new test subjects?" The clown faced Captain inquired, with a sickening smile as he continued his approach.

*** _SoD_ ***

As the inferno swept the battlefield from the conflict between the two leaders Aizen once again found himself being pushed back against the overwhelming power of the eldest Shinigami.

He cursed the blond haired ex-Captain again, if that man had just stayed out of the conflict like he was supposed to then the General's power would have been removed and the largest threat to his plans eliminated. At least until the Royal Guard arrived, but by then the Hogyoku will have made him invincible so they would be just a stepping stone.

Again the two monstrous powers clashed, and again the brown haired man came out the worse of the two as he was burned and thrown backwards.

Reacting instantly to the old man's charge Aizen fired a binding spell, hoping to give himself a few moments to prepare one of his more devastating Kido spells, only to have the Captain break through the Bakudo as if it were glass.

Calling upon his complete hypnosis ability the ex-Captain vanished from sight, only to appear behind his opponent and land a devastating slash across his back.

Shockingly the older man barely even flinched, as he immediately spun his sword around and impaled his enemy through the stomach. Aizen's eyes widened in shock as he retreated in a burst of speed, clutching his wounded, albeit cauterized, torso.

"Impressive, you did not even hesitate when you felt me cut into you." Aizen complimented, while the Captain merely looked on in a calculating gaze.

"You cannot play your mind games with me boy. You are a thousand years too young for such things. Even if you are powerful, your own pride will be your downfall."

"This will not end the way you think old man, in fact it has already finished for you."

Suddenly Aizen appeared in front of his opponent, finishing his incantation for his favorite Kido spell.

" _Kurohitsugi"_

As the massive black box began to form around the General, the ex-Captain could only smirk in triumph. After all this spell had defeated a Captain and it was not even at full power.

"As I said this battle is…" but before he could finish gloating Aizen watched in shock as his spell seemed to catch fire and incinerate before his very eyes, leaving a somewhat bloody Yamamoto standing before him.

"Is that all you've got Aizen?"

" _Taimatsu"_

With his declaration a massive explosion of fire consumed the rebel leader. A few moments later the man emerged from the fire, badly burned and injured from the intense flames.

"Impressive… but unfortunately it is all for naught, behold." Aizen declared as he moved aside what remained of his vest, revealing an implanted Hogyoku in his chest as his wounds began to heal.

"Aizen, what have you done to yourself? Implanting that 'thing' into you just to win a battle? To what lengths will you go in order to emerge victorious?"

"Any, you should understand this better than anyone after all."

Suddenly Kisuke Urahara appeared at the General's side, eyeing the new development with a calculating gaze.

"I figured you would resort to something like this Aizen-San. What a shame it is, you have always been and always will be two steps behind me it seems." Urahara taunted, in a happy tone.

Aizen responded with a glare at the man, before developing a vicious smirk.

"Ah but that is where you are wrong Kisuke Urahara. You may have predicted this turn of events but even you could not have predicted the next development in this game of ours." With that Aizen raised his hand once more into the air, only this time his fist was tightly shut.

Urahara replied with his patented grin.

"Calling for more reinforcements eh Aizen-San? I would have thought you would have run out of them by now."

"Oh don't worry about that, this is the last of them I assure you, but as the saying goes 'I did save the best for last'."

Suddenly a lone Garganta appeared in the sky above the battlefield.

*** _SoD_ ***

An eerie calm settled over the battlefield at this moment, as if the world itself was bowing before the idea of 'the calm before the storm'.

Silence reigned in these fleeting moments as the various combatants seemed to pause in the conflicts, many glancing upwards. Their gazes drawn towards the person sized hole in the sky.

The dark skinned blonde appeared to have tears of joy in her eyes as she gazed lovingly towards the portal.

The former Second Division Captain was about to make a comment about her opponent's state when the Espada whispered out a single word. But that word caused a shiver to run down Yoruichi's spine, as she redirected her shocked gaze towards the newly arrived individual

"Ichigo"

***A/N***

How's that for a cliffhanger?

As a note… Gin is like the most fun character to write for… ever.

Hope no one is too upset over a lack of Tousen or Wonderweiss in this story; It's not that I dislike them, it's just that I find Tousen to be fairly bland personality wise, and Wonderweiss is just too specialized as a tool for me.

Also I hope no one is upset that I had Shinji be responsible for another fatality, but considering how ridiculously useful his power is in group settings, it's hard not to abuse the hell out of it.

The next chapter is going to be fairly Ichigo centric, since he hasn't had any 'screen time' in a few chapters.

Casualties thus far and person responsible-

Yammy killed by Komamura

Szayel killed by Tessai

Zommari killed by Hitsugaya

Nnoitra killed by Kensei

Wonderweiss killed by Kisuke

Tousen killed by Isshin

Baraggan killed by Kurotsuchi

Charlotte killed by Yachiru

Vega killed by Yachiru

Nirgge killed by Abirama and Findorr

Abirama killed by Chojiro

Findorr killed by Chojiro

Nirgge killed by Omaeda

Yylfordt killed by Renji

Rudbornn killed by Nemu

Di Roy killed by Hachi

Nakeem killed by Hachi

Aaroniero killed by Renji

Dordoni killed by Chojiro

Gantenbainne killed by Mashiro

Cirucci killed by Lisa

Shawlong killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Tesra killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Edrad killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Cyan killed by Mastumoto and Nanao

Iba killed by Powoww

Love killed by Baraggan

Izuru killed by Abirama and Findorr

Omaeda killed by Yylfordt

Lisa killed by Cirucci

Hisagi killed by an Arrancar

Matsumoto killed by Ayon

 **Translations-**

Armadura Acuatico- Aquatic armor


	27. Reap the Whirlwind

**Shadows of Deceit**

Reap the Whirlwind

Thank you for all the reviews, likes, follows, and reads!

***27 chapters in and there might still be people who think I own Bleach… really? ***

*** _SoD_ ***

As Ichigo stepped out of the Garganta and onto the battlefield he paused for a moment to get his bearings.

Half of the Espada were dead, along with most of the Fraccion. A large number of Shinigami also seemed to have died in the fighting.

Now Ichigo had known what the plan was, even if he did not entirely agree on the reasoning behind it. Aizen's tactic had been to hold back his 'trump cards' until the battle was sufficiently underway to crush the enemy's morale and to ensure that his enemies were tired before Ichigo engaged them.

The problem with this was that many of his companions had died, including one of Harribel's Fraccion.

Silently Ichigo cursed his leader for allowing the battle to escalate this far before making the signal for his arrival.

But that would have to be addressed later. Right now there were issues that required his immediate attention.

Kenpachi had noticed the lapse in Nelliel's and leaped forward to try another vertical slash, only to find his blade had been caught by the Ryoka known as Ichigo.

"Eh? Well look who it is, my favorite sparring buddy Ichi…"

But before the Captain could finish his speech the newly arrived Arrancar kicked the man in the chest, sending him soaring completely through a nearby building and into one directly behind it.

Ichigo then turned to Nel, and took in her injured Resurreccion form.

"Are you okay Nel?"

"It has been a difficult fight but I am okay so far, thank you for your assistance though."

Ichigo smiled at the emerald haired woman before their conversation was interrupted by the Kuchki family head.

"Well I must say that I am surprised, I believed you were still imprisoned in the Seireitei. Now I find you once again standing against us with our enemies in an ill-conceived attempt at an invasion. Even though you have allied yourself with stronger warriors this time it will not change the outcome, you will fail just as before." Byakuya spoke out in a tone of superiority.

"Byakuya Kuchki, I wonder do you feel any remorse for letting your sister die. Or were you there, watching her perish without a second thought. Is that stupid notion that the law is always right and must be upheld no matter what still running through your mind?" Ichigo replied, sending a glare towards his enemy.

"Rukia was a criminal and enemy to Soul Society, she received exactly…" Again Ichigo decided to interrupt the monologue, this time by flashing in front of the Shinigami and sending an open palmed strike to the side of his head, throwing him into another building with impressive force.

"Bastard…" Ichigo muttered out, turning his attention to the gaping man with sun glasses. "Well well, if it isn't Tessai. I am surprised to see you and Kisuke here, after all I thought that he was too much of a coward to do anything himself. I assumed that he would just find another group of teenagers to throw into an impossible situation and hope for the best."

"Ichigo… that was never what we intended."

"It doesn't matter anyway. It appears that one of the Captains is moving towards the recovering Fraccion." The newest Espada remarked, turning toward that direction.

"Ichigo, Harribel has already lost Cyan we can't lose anyone else." Nel pleaded, earning a nod of understanding from the boy.

"Don't worry Nel. Nothing is going to happen to them." With that he vanished in a blur of Sonido.

*** _SoD_ ***

As Kurotsuchi approached the remaining Fraccion Ichigo suddenly appeared in front of him.

"That is quite far enough Kurotsuchi. I will not allow you to harm them."

"Oh you look quite familiar, aren't you one of those Ryoka who had tried to infiltrate the Seireitei some time ago? I had a chance to study your friends but I believe you had eluded me at the time. Have you returned to help me with my research? I am afraid that my initial lab was destroyed but we are busy on the construction of a new one so worry not, you will be in good hands." After the Shinigami's last remark his face twisted into a sick smile.

Ichigo's response was to let out an inaudible growl, trying his hardest not to simply start cutting the sick bastard into pieces where he stood.

"Although I am sure that you couldn't care less about the state of your allies I would like to relocate this battle of ours. I wouldn't want my potential new test subjects to get hit in the crossfire." With that the Captain vanished in Shunpo, followed by Ichigo.

*** _SoD_ ***

As the two combatants arrived at the chosen arena Ichigo turned his attention once more to the man in front of him. After spending a large amount of time reading over the file on the Captain, the Cero Espada was well aware he was not a man to underestimate. He had a knack for producing specialized new technologies and was a master in the fields of chemicals and biology.

"I am afraid I need to ask of you a small favor. You see the old man Espada had only relied on one power for our fight and I was not able to gather much information on him, so I was wondering if you would be so kind as to use a larger variety of abilities during our battle."

'So he was the one who killed Baraggan, not surprising. I was curious about who would actually be able to deal with his powers.' The Arrancar pondered as he continued his glare.

Dashing forward Ichigo unsheathed his Zanpakuto and swung down in the blink of an eye, he knew that his speed was vastly superior to the man's and was hoping to gain an early advantage by chopping his opponent's arm off. Instead he was surprised to find his blade blocked perfectly by the Zanpakuto of his adversary, even more startling was that the man had not budged even an inch despite the force behind the blow.

A few more rapid slashes confirmed that Kurotsuchi was able, somehow, to parry each attack effortlessly.

"I have installed a sensor into the hilt of my Zanpakuto, allowing it to detect any incoming blows and automatically defend against them. Interestingly enough I was also able to copy the enhanced strength power from your large male friend, allowing it to withstand the force from your blows as well. I am curious about something though, why is it that you and your remaining Arrancar allies lack the mask and Hollow holes that the others possess? Furthermore I do not recall the reports stating that you had purple eyes during your initial infiltration. But the greatest mystery right now is your lack of spiritual power. Is it that due to your transformation into whatever you currently are that you have discarded all of your spiritual energy in order to dramatically increase your physical capabilities? Yes that must be it, which would explain your dramatic increase in both strength and speed in such a short period of time."

Leaping backwards the Espada allowed the man to continue rambling on, who was he to interrupt his opponent while they explained how their own techniques worked?

With a slight glance Ichigo formed, and fired, a powerful Cero.

As the blast streaked through the sky towards the Captain, Kurotsuchi made no effort to dodge. Instead he simply stood still as the blast seemed to be absorbed into a bracelet on the man's wrist.

"Ah very interesting indeed another successful test, you see I copied one of the many powers from your friend with the brightly colored hair. Despite her screams of pain I managed to analyze her shielding ability. With that knowledge I am now effectively immune to the 'Cero' and 'Bala' techniques you Arrancar seem to be so fond of.

Again Ichigo sent a glare at the man. He knew that the Shinigami was just trying to get under his skin and enrage him… but damn if it wasn't working.

"Well since my last invention is a bit less intuitive I will simply explain it now, rather than have you trying to guess what it does. I have installed small sensors throughout the battlefield, their purpose is to record and analyze the frequency of your 'Sonido' technique. This allows me to automatically know your location and even make a rough estimate on where you will move to before you emerge. Wonderful technology is it not? Now then I believe it is time for me to switch to the offensive, it is unfortunate that my lab was destroyed before I could complete my research on your friends, I was getting close to cracking the secret on the rest of your companions' offensive capabilities as well. After all the power to split an opponent with the art of 'rejection' would have been quite the interesting ability to incorporate. Normally I would simply poison you and wait until your insides turn to mush but since that left me without a corpse to study last time I think I will instead fall back onto the glaring weakness of all Hollows, Kido."

With that the Captain muttered the short incantation and then launched a _Rikujokoro_ at the Arrancar, binding him in the six light beams and preventing his movement.

Ichigo, for his part, simply glanced down and then back up at the Captain but made no efforts to escape.

"Ah as I expected, Hollows do not have the intuition to deal with powerful Bakudo spells and you were never trained to do so, what a shame. Now let us see how much damage your Hierro can take from my spells."

Again the Shinigami went through a lengthy chant before firing a large blue burst of fire towards the restrained Espada.

" _Soren Sokatsui_ "

As the blast impacted there was a large column of smoke that erupted, while the clown faced man prepared to take notes, only for him to have a look of surprise for the first time since entering the battle.

Ichigo stood completely unharmed, from the blast. Furthermore the Bakudo restraining him began to dissolve away into nothingness, leaving him unhindered as well.

"Interesting, you seem to have a much stronger Hierro than I anticipated. I wonder exactly how strong it is though."

This time the energy flowing around the Shinigami intensified dramatically as the Captain called out his next incantation.

"The penitent man walks the last mile, the holy man reads his last rights. An emperor of nothing sits upon an empty throne. Women weep, men despair. Path of Destruction number ninety two! _Shikei Shuuno Kaminari!_ "

With that a massive column of lightning fell from the sky, completely obliterating the surrounding area and severely damaging the nearby buildings. Kurotsuchi himself was forced to flash step backwards a large distance to avoid being hit in the collateral damage.

After the smoke cleared from this explosion Ichigo was again revealed completely unharmed from the attack, having not even moved to dodge the blast.

"H-how, even Aizen would have been injured from that blast!" The Captain stuttered out, racking his brain for a possible explanation for the boy's state.

The Espada only smirked, it was quite fun to allow these 'know it all genius' types to encounter something that they could not explain and watch as they ramble on about possible solutions.

***Flashback***

"Ichigo could you come here for a moment please?" Szayel called out as Ichigo walked with his closest companions to the dining area.

"Sure what do you need Szayel-San?" the boy replied.

"I was wondering if I could obtain your help testing out a new device I have created." The mad genius inquired, as he held up a small bracelet looking device. "It is a portable version of the technology used in my lab. With it an individual can become immune to an opponent's ability. The problem is that due to its size it can only afford protection against one form of an attack, rather than the entire enemy's arsenal."

"Why do you want me to test it though? If it is that powerful shouldn't you give it to Aizen-Sama or use it yourself?"

"Normally yes, but it was designed based on my initial device which only works for Arrancar so I doubt Lord Aizen could utilize it. As for why I chose you, well for several reasons. First if anything goes wrong you are the one most likely to survive any kind of feedback from the device."

This statement caused Ichigo's gaze to narrow on the pink haired man in annoyance.

"B-but that is not all I assure you, I also know of your desire to challenge the leader of the SRDI and based on his file he is a heavy Kido user which this would be perfect for. Finally I feel as though I owe you this, after all you have permitted me to continue my own experiments even after what you have observed in Soul Society."

Ichigo just nodded in acceptance before strapping the small device around his wrist.

***End Flashback***

The Arrancar said nothing though, as the infuriated Shinigami continued to go through possible solutions to this new puzzle.

Finally the man seemed to give up and once more summoned his Bankai. The hideous creature immediately spewed forth a blanket of toxic mist which quickly flowed towards the Espada.

"Well I suppose that we will just have to cut this battle short again. I am sure I will find some decent research specimens in the other Arrancar that will not be nearly as infuriating as you are."

Just before the cloud reached him Ichigo summoned forth what appeared to be a sphere of blue energy that completely surrounded him, vaporizing any of the substance upon contact.

" _Cero Bloqueo_ "

A minute or two later the creature gave up and after the fog dissipated completely Ichigo stood once more completely unharmed, causing his opponent to curse.

After resealing his full release the Captain called out to the Arrancar again "Well it seems that we are at quite the en passé eh boy? You are unable to harm me while I seem to be at a loss as to how to harm you. So how about we just call this a draw, I will go and find other Arrancar to use as test subjects and you can go and do whatever it is that inferior life forms do."

"Actually I have a better idea you psychotic bastard. How about I find a flaw in your so called perfect defense and use it to rip you limb from limb?"

In a blur of Sonido, which Kurotsuchi was able to track thanks to his technology, Ichigo appeared in front of the man and once more swung his Zanpakuto down, clashing blades yet again.

"Stupid boy, you already know that your sword cannot reach me why do you insist on…"

Now there were a lot of different ways this exchange could have turned out. The Twelfth Division Captain had assumed that the most logical of them would have been the same as before, the boy would swing his sword a bunch of times and get nowhere, then make some big speech and tire himself out before moving on. Or he could have simply kept attacking him until the war was over, maybe the Espada would even give up early on and leave before either of these scenarios and engage a different Captain.

Yes there were many outcomes to this, however the one that the man had most assuredly not predicted was that his opponent would pull his arm back and punch him square in the face, knocking some of his teeth loose in the process.

Staggering backwards the man could only blink, and then blink again in confusion.

Sure the other Espada had resorted to unrefined Hakuda combat but almost all of those were after the Zanpakuto had been released and removed from the equation. The fact that an Arrancar would give up the advantage that the superior Shinigami possessed was an absolutely illogical idea.

Unfortunately for the man his opponent was not one to think so far into combat, and instead focused on the 'here and now'. So instead of pondering his opponent's motivations, which he had long ago determined he had no interest in as far as the sociopathic Captain was concerned, he slammed his fist into the Shinigami's stomach, launching him back through a nearby building.

Moving in a blur of Sonido Ichigo appeared behind the spot where the man finally emerged through the structure, and delivered a two handed overhead blow, sending his opponent careening down into the streets below.

As the humiliated Shinigami pulled himself out of the crater he had formed, he sent a ruthless glare at the boy who was standing calmly nearby.

"How… how are you able to get past my defenses!? The sensor in my Zanpakuto…"

"Is designed to parry other Zanpakuto, it is the same reason it did not respond to my Cero and the same reason it did not react to your own movements into the area by cutting your fingers off. You must have created it to detect a specific kind of spiritual energy that all Zanpakuto release naturally. In that way it would even help block an attack from someone who uses illusions, like Shinji or Aizen. The problem is that it will _only_ block a Zanpakuto. Of course your second mistake was thinking that I am only proficient in swordsmanship because that was my main form of combat when invading the Seireitei the first time. The truth is that I was trained in hand to hand combat since I was a child." Ichigo interrupted, as the Shinigami's mouth merely gaped in astonishment.

This mere child had analyzed the 'genius' Captain's creation within minutes and had found a weakness that had eluded even the inventor himself.

"Well as interesting as your newfound advantage is I have one more trick up my sleeve! You see my Shikai is coated in a layer of venom. I have recently changed this to a type of dissolving substance that will allow me to cut through even the strongest of Hierro, along with its paralyzing effect. Now do you understand the hopelessness of your situation boy!? I am still going to dissect you just like I did with your…"

Before the man could finish his rant, Ichigo had flashed to his side and placed his arms around either side of the limb that held the Captain's Zanpakuto, the Espada having sheathed his Zanpakuto mid travel, and with a swift jerk snapped the Shinigami's arm.

The inventor cried out in pain, as he tried to escape the boy who had just effortless broken at least one bone in his arm. Unfortunately for him Ichigo was in no mood to continue their battle at his opponent's pace.

Instead he delivered a kick to the side of his adversary's knee, completely snapping the man's leg in half and earning another cry of pain, before grabbing his face and slamming it backwards into the ground, creating a large dust shockwave from the force.

As he pulled back his hand the only thing Ichigo could see were his friends faces twisted in agony and pain.

He threw his fist into the man's face.

He could almost hear their screams.

Another punch

Their cries of terror, begging for someone to save them.

Punch

The hopelessness befalling them as they realized that no help was coming.

Soon Ichigo was simply punching the man's face, harder and faster after each successful attack, beating the skull of his enemy into the ground with such force that the ground around them began to crack and groan under the pressure.

Without even realizing it Ichigo began to shed long forgotten tears, tears of despair at having failed his friends, at being unable to help stop their pain, and at abandoning them to their fate without ever realizing it.

After a few minutes of his assault the Espada realized that the man's life had ended some time ago, and he was simply punching the blood soaked ground where the monster's skull had previously laid.

Quickly searching the body next to him Ichigo located the small pinwheel that Kurotsuchi had taken from his friend's possession, and put it into his pocket for safe keeping.

Standing up the Arrancar struggled to bring his breathing under control, to halt the tears that covered his face and stop the shaking that had consumed his body.

Glancing around he quickly realized that the entire battlefield had been consumed by an eerie silence. The other warriors had forgotten their own battles to simply witness the raw release of emotion and frustration that had consumed the newcomer.

Closing his eyes and focusing his senses Ichigo quickly located his next target, and vanished in a burst of Sonido.

*** _SoD_ ***

Shinji had been having a very rough day. Between several of his close friends dying, which would be grieved over once this battle was done, and having to deal with this ridiculously frustrating asshole. The blond man just wanted to go back to bed and sulk for the next month or two.

So when some kid shows up in an eerily similar white outfit, orange hair, and what looked to be Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto thrown over his shoulder, unconscious, the Visored didn't even question what was happening.

"Gin, I think you should take a look at her. It looks like when I karate chopped her in the back she was knocked out but I could be mistaken, how about you and I switch out and I will handle your battle from here?" the newly arrived warrior inquired.

Shinji couldn't really say Arrancar since the brat had no fucking spiritual pressure, because that would just make too much sense at this point.

"You know what fuck it I'm out. You can both just go do whatever the hell you want. I am going to go find someone else to fight who isn't some freakishly annoying monster stalker." The former Fifth Division Captain exasperated before leaving the area.

"BUT LOVER WAIT WE NEVER GOT TO FINISH OUR SPAR! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Gin loudly shouted after the retreating man.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHUT UP!" the blond roared back before making a hasty Shunpo from the battle.

Ichigo shot the silver haired man a confused look, which was returned by a small chuckle and a muttering of "good times… good times"

Deciding not to investigate any further the Espada gently placed the unconscious woman in Ichimaru's arms before giving him a nod, and receiving a heartfelt "thank you" in return.

The boy then blurred away towards another conflict as the former Captain went looking for a safe place to explain to the awakening woman what was going on.

*** _SoD_ ***

The Captain General was well aware of the death of Captain Kurotsuchi, and had the man not potentially lost the war for them then he might have felt a bit more than relief at his passing.

Unfortunately he was still in the middle of battling the former Captain Aizen, while Isshin and Kisuke dealt with the skyscraper sized Hollow that had started leaking Menos Grande all over the place.

After hearing what sounded like a rather large explosion and a curse that sounded suspiciously like 'DAMNIT KISUKE!' the eldest Shinigami noticed the return of both former Captains, one looking rather burnt and pissed off and the other as jovial as ever.

"Now that your pet has been taken care of Aizen I think it's time for a good ol fashioned three on one beat down!" the former head of the Shiba Clan declared as he charged forward, and raised his blade in a very Kendo like way to strike down their mutual foe.

Then the situation became a bit more… complicated.

The man's blade was stopped by another Zanpakuto, a solid black one to be exact. While the wielder casually held back the man's strike with one arm, he proceeded to glare into the Shingami's eyes with a strange hatred.

"I-I-Ichigo?" Isshin stuttered out, as a strange silence again fell upon the area.

Rather than answering directly, the newcomer replied by viciously kicking the man in the chest sending him hurtling backwards through several buildings.

*** _SoD_ ***

When Yoruichi had heard the Arrancar call out Ichigo's name she was immediately suspicious. Surely the boy was still locked up in the Seireitei as the Captain Commander had confirmed right?

Even if he wasn't, there would be no chance of him joining up with someone like Aizen. After all the man had been, mostly, responsible for Rukia's execution and threatened the entire world, not to mention Soul Society.

But when she glanced over and saw the orange haired boy tear Kurotsuchi to pieces she was sure that her heart skipped a beat.

What had caused him to join the likes of the Arrancar and Aizen? Had it been her and Kisuke's fault? Had they pushed him too hard? He was just a child after all, not even fully grown yet and they had 'helped' him on an impossible quest that seemed more like a suicide mission when she thought back on the details.

How the hell had Kisuke manage to convince her and Isshin that everything would just "work its way out"?

Regardless she needed to go and help them, she owed Ichigo that much at least. But she couldn't abandon Sui-Feng, not again.

Luckily she felt the presence of two Captain class spiritual entities approaching, Komamura and Shinji, along with a handful of high Lieutenant level powers as well.

"Go help Kisuke, Yoruichi we can take care of her." The Visored leader commanded, as he and the large fox Shinigami joined the other female Captain against Harribel.

Nodding Yoruichi flashed off towards the inevitable conflict.

*** _SoD_ ***

"Sorry I am late Aizen-Sama I had to take the long way to get to the battlefield." The boy spoke in a very stoic voice while Urahara just stared wide eyed at him.

"Ichigo, what happened to you?" the normally happy man asked, still in a state of shock.

"Whatever do you mean Urahara? Do you mean my physical appearance? Or is it the fact that I am not as dead as you were hoping for when you sent me and my friends on a suicide mission?"

"Ichigo, that isn't true. Things just turned out badly you know that." A familiar voice called out as Yoruichi appeared next to her longtime friend.

"Of course you would defend him Shihoin, probably helps you with the knowledge that you lead a bunch of teenagers into a heavily armed fortress eh?"

A moment later Isshin returned to the area, a bit scuffed up but otherwise fairly unharmed.

"Son… why, how?"

"Do you even give a shit? I mean none of you even tried to rescue me or any of the others. Yet here you all are now, helping the same bastards that tried to kill me. So what is the agenda this time Urahara? Did you lose another one of your precious inventions and you couldn't find anyone to throw at the problem like last time?"

"Ichigo, we are here to rescue you! The Captain Commander said you were imprisoned and if we fought on their side that you would be completely pardoned and released." The boy's father desperately replied, his mind trying to figure out what to do.

"Oh? How interesting, so how does it feel to be lied to and manipulated by someone you trust? I have been out of Soul Society for months now. I joined Aizen-Sama's army after he rescued me and told me the truth."

"Aizen… what lies have you poisoned my son with!?"

"I haven't lied to your son at all Isshin Shiba I merely told him the truth… about everything." Aizen replied, a smirk forming on his lips at how everything was playing out.

"Were you ever going to tell me Isshin _Shiba_ about your status as a former Captain?"

"Ichigo it wasn't that simple, you couldn't have understood…"

"WERE YOU EVER GOING TO TELL ME THE TRUTH ABOUT MY OWN MOTHER YOU BASTARD!? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU LET ME GO THROUGH?! THINKING IT WAS MY FAULT, BELIEVING THAT I HAD KILLED HER!" the Espada interrupted, screaming furiously at the man, who could only lower his head in shame.

"Ichigo Shiba, it matters not about what lies you have been told about your personal life. The fact of the matter is that you are guilty of the murder of Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and you will be held responsible." The eldest Shinigami interrupted, earning a glare from the three outcasts and an interested look from Aizen.

"If you had anything to do with what that monster did to my friends I will cut you into pieces, and my name is Ichigo Kurosaki, not Shiba." Ichigo threatened with a growl.

"What do you mean Ichigo? Chad, Uryu, Tatsuki, and Orihime were…" Yoruichi called out, before being interrupted.

"They were tortured, dissected, experimented on, and killed by the sadistic psychopath whose face I bashed in. Of course you probably wouldn't have cared even if you had known right? We were just there to cause a distraction so that you could retrieve your precious Hogyoku. What I really want to know is why didn't you three just go and retrieve it yourselves? Hell between Urahara and Shihoin, you two probably could have just snuck in and rescued Rukia without our help."

As the truth reached her the dark skinned woman could only cover her mouth in horror, trying to suppress the gasp in response to what she had unknowingly doomed the teenagers to.

"It isn't that simple Ichigo, we couldn't risk being spotted and revealing our plan to Aizen." The shop keeper replied, trying to justify his actions.

"That is total bullshit and you know it, Aizen knew what you were up to before Rukia even met me. As for my change in appearance, well I suppose if you want to know who is responsible for that simply look towards the 'genius' of your group." The Arrancar responded, narrowing a glare at the former head of the SRDI.

"Kisuke… what the hell happened to my son?"

"If the brilliant Kisuke Urahara cannot answer that perhaps I can expose some truths?" Aizen drawled out in his usual tone, earning a glare from the former Twelfth Division Captain. "You see after Kisuke put Ichigo through the 'Shattered Shaft' trial to restore his powers Ichigo acquired an 'Inner Hollow' so to speak. That along with the manifestation of his Quincy Powers took up accommodation in his soul. I sought to allow him to stabilize his powers and through the completed Hogyoku was able to do so, to the effect of creating a perfect Arrancar."

"You monster, and don't think any of you are getting out of this lightly. Once Aizen is in the ground the three of us are going to have a serious talk." Isshin growled, as he glanced at Yoruichi and Kisuke who flinched under his stare. "You and I are also going to have a chat you old bastard." The man ended his glare on Yamamato, who merely gazed back at him.

"Oh I don't think things will be going as you planned Isshin. After all I now have the most powerful warrior on the battlefield under my tutelage. I was even planning on adopting the poor boy after this conflict is over. It is so distressing to see today's youth without proper role models." The rebel leader retorted.

" _GETSUGA TENSHO_ " the father roared out, as he dashed towards the man, and with a vertical slash sent a wave of blue spiritual energy rushing forward.

" _Getsuga Tensho_ "

The reply came just as quickly, but in a calmer manner, as Ichigo stepped in front of his leader and sent his own wave of black fire-like energy forth. When the two attacks collided they spiraled into the sky, as if they were twin dragons fighting for dominance.

As the eerie blue and black light illuminated the battlefield the two warriors made eye contact, each of their faces cast in various shadows from the glow.

"Why… why do you defend him son?"

"Funny, I would ask the same thing to you. Why do you defend these bastards?"

"I defend them for you. Once Aizen is defeated we can return to the living world and…"

"And what? I was given the choice of returning when Aizen-Sama first saved me from the Seireitei. I have nothing left in that world. My friends are all dead, you have lied and manipulated me since I was a child, Urahara and Shihoin probably are just as guilty as you are in that regard."

"Isshin, I know that you don't want to do this but we need to remove Ichigo as a threat. I am not saying we kill him but we cannot defeat Aizen while we are dealing with him as well." The Shinigami turned shopkeeper told his friend, as he placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

The father just nodded, steeling his resolve for what would be the toughest battle of his life, against his own flesh and blood, while Yoruichi joined the other two warriors.

"I will allow you to deal with these three Ichigo in the meantime I shall remove the General from this war." Aizen told the Espada, before using Shunpo to reengage the Shinigami leader.

*** _SoD_ ***

"That was quite impressive of your friend Espada-San, though I am not sure whether to call him brave or foolish in this case." Stark spoke to his opponent, as the three warriors watched the confrontation from afar.

"I don't think you realize who that is." Came the reply.

"He is the former Ryoka who lead the assault on Soul Society is he not? It also appears to be Isshin's son if the information that was just relayed was correct." Ukitake chimed in.

"True he is all of that, and more. He is my brother, he is Ulquiorra's best friend, he is Nelliel and Harribel's lover, but one more thing you might find interesting is this. You assume that the rank of Espada goes from ten to one, me being the strongest. But you are incorrect. I never said that I was the strongest Espada. In actuality the Espada are ranked from ten to zero, and Ichigo is the Cero Espada." Stark clarified, earning looks of shock from both of the experienced Captains who thought the same thing.

'There is someone even stronger than the man who is able to face us both at the same time?'

*** _SoD_ ***

Although the idea of facing his two former teachers, and father, at the same time sounded fine in his head Ichigo quickly found himself forced onto the defensive. The teamwork that the three Shinigami displayed was no less than perfect.

When Isshin would launch a heavy overhand slash Urahara would be there to exploit any openings caused by it.

When Ichigo tried to make any type of counter against either man Yoruichi would appear behind him and force him to abandon the attack.

All in all it was starting to become very irritating.

Taking advantage of a slightly slower attack by his father Ichigo used Sonido to appear next to the blond man. With a powerful slash he sent him flying backwards before dodging the expected counter attack by Yoruichi. Afterwards he grabbed her overextended wrist and threw her through a nearby building effectively eliminating the three on one battle for a short time.

The two remaining opponents began to duel in a close ranged contest of pure swordsmanship. Where Isshin had experience on his side Ichigo had a slight advantage in strength, along with his absurdly difficult to counter fighting style.

The situation from before was quickly reversed for the former Captain, as his son switched sword grips, swapped sword hands, and threw in multiple unarmed attacks in what appeared to be a strange combination of random and planned strikes.

After exchanging a few minor slashes, the Espada finally broke the man's stance completely. But before he could capitalize with a power diagonal slash the dark skinned woman delivered a vicious kick to the side of his face, sending him flying through several structures.

"Are you alright Isshin?" Kisuke asked after returning to the man's side.

"Yeah, I don't know whether I should be proud or terrified with how powerful he has become in such a short time. But the real troublesome question is, 'why the hell does he not have any spiritual pressure'?"

"No idea, maybe we should ask him?" The shopkeeper responded, as he opened his signature fan to cover his grin, and receiving a punch to the head from his female companion.

"Not now Kisuke, we need to figure out a way to either bind Ichigo or knock him out completely. Now that Aizen has fused with the Hogyoku who knows what he is capable of?" the dark skinned woman shot back in annoyance.

"Well I need to save most of my big tricks for Aizen, but I guess we could try and bind him with Kido before dropping him with a stronger attack or two. That speed of his practically rules out a straight on surprise assault." The shopkeeper analyzed.

"I am still faster than him though, so don't go implying that I am not…" Yoruichi muttered under her breath.

As Ichigo appeared on the battlefield a distance away from them the hat wearing Shinigami decided to take a chance with a newly devised tactic.

"HEY ICHIGO WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SPIRITUAL PRESSURE?" he happily shouted out, earning a glare from his two companions.

"Damnit Kisuke…" the woman whispered out.

Curiously enough many of the other combatants had stopped after hearing this question shouted, also curious as to why this might be happening.

"Obviously he has mastered the art of suppressing his power, just like a member of the Onmitsukido. Heck if he wasn't trying to kill us right now I would have told him to apply to my little bee's squad." The dark skinned female answered.

"Ha if it were only that obvious, my son has clearly obtained a bond with his Zanpakuto beyond anything else, and has converted his spiritual energy into raw power, thus mastering Zangetsu."

"Actually I think you are both wrong. Due to his interaction with the Hogyoku his spiritual energy has been completely absorbed into his body, allowing him to display some Hollow abilities while not leaking to the outside, quite impressive." Urahara stated with a sagely nod.

"Incorrect again Kisuke Urahara, quite expected though of someone that is limited to your intelligence. You see Ichigo has transcended, and thus his spiritual pressure is so strong that we are no longer able to feel its effects. It is a defense mechanism for spiritual beings." Aizen clarified, while taking a short rest from his battle with the Captain Commander.

"No offense Aizen-Sama, but you are all mistaken. The problem is quite simple, it's just that Urahara asked the wrong question. You should not have asked 'Why don't you have any spiritual pressure' the real question you should be asking yourselves is 'Why can't we sense your spiritual pressure'." Ichigo responded loudly, earning a puzzled look from all those around him.

"Oh and you also made a mistake Shihoin, I am not trying to kill you right now, if I was…" In an instant, and as Urahara would later note without any kind of sound or fluctuations indicating movement, the Espada was standing directly in front of the shocked woman, his finger having charged a Cero and placed over her heart. "Then you would be dead."

A split second later Yoruichi had activated Shunko, and retreated a good distance away from the Arrancar, who was still standing in the exact some position as before.

"H-how the hell did he do that Kisuke!? Even I couldn't see him move!" the Goddess of Flash stuttered out, a chill of fear having run down her spine at the realization of the boy's speed.

"No idea, that wasn't Sonido or Shunpo hell that wasn't even a Quincy or Fullbringer technique that I could see."

"Hey I hate to make a bad situation worse but we have another problem." Isshin called out, earning a startled look from the other two Shinigami. "Aizen's spiritual pressure has also disappeared, but he is still fighting the old man. Now he looks like some kind of cocoon form, it's really creepy."

The other two ex-Captains glanced over and saw that indeed Aizen had changed forms and appeared to be breaking even with the Captain General in terms of raw strength.

"No doubt due to his merging with the Hogyoku, great we need to finish this fight and help him before Aizen changes again." Kisuke analyzed.

"He is going to change again!? How many forms does the Hogyoku give someone Kisuke?" a bewildered Shiba clan head asked.

"Uh… a lot? How the hell should I know, I just invented one of them not both." The shopkeeper replied, giving a small pout at his lack of knowledge.

"Do not concern yourselves with Aizen-Sama. None of you are capable of defeating him at this point so there is no reason to be worried about him." Ichigo called out.

"Oh I think you underestimate us son, after all we have some tricks up our sleeves. Along with the fastest Shinigami alive, the smartest Shinigami alive, and the most badass Shinigami alive." Isshin corrected, with a smirk.

The Cero Espada merely glared at the group, before settling into a combat stance once more.

*** _SoD_ ***

As Nelliel stood, panting and bleeding, she glared at her opponents. Even though Ichigo had bought her some time to recover, Kenpachi had quickly rejoined the fight with Byakuya. To make matters worse the nobleman's lieutenant had also joined the fight, after recovering his lost energy. Now she stood facing down four opponents, two of which were fairly fresh and uninjured.

"This fight is pointless Hollow, soon you will fall before the blade of the Soul Society just like all of your previous companions, and then we will destroy the rest of your pathetic invasion forces. In the end this battle was decided before it began." Byakuya called out.

"Eh he's right unfortunately, as interesting as this battle was at first, now it is just us slowly cutting you up." Kenpachi affirmed with a bored look on his face.

"It is time to surrender perhaps you will be given leniency if you do so. But the fact of the matter is that your Resurreccion, though powerful, was not able to keep up with our combined might. This battle of attrition was one you were never able to win." Tessai observed.

"I think you all should know something before this battle goes any further, you see each Espada has a certain characteristic that makes them deadly. Of the remaining four of us Stark is the best in one on one battles. Ulquiorra possesses the greatest hand to hand combat, as well as destructive power. Harribel is by far the most balanced offensive and defensively. But the thing that might surprise you is this, of all the Espada my defensive capabilities are the greatest by far." Nelliel called out, while focusing large amounts of spirit energy.

Her opponents were instantly wary of this declaration so far besides her redirection of Kido she had not shown any obvious defensive powers.

"Here allow me to show you what I mean…"

*** _SoD_ ***

"I have a question for all of you." Harribel called out to her four opponents. After Shinji and Komamura had joined the battle, the man named Hachi had seen fit to appear as well, aiding with defensive barriers where needed.

"Oh and what is that?" Shinji asked with a look of genuine curiosity on his face.

"Do you know how to dodge an attack?"

The four companions paused in their combat stances, and glanced at each other while shrugging.

"Uh what exactly do you mean?" The Visored leader again called out, being the most talkative of their group.

"It's not a trick question I assure you. Do you know how to dodge an attack?"

"Of course we do, I have been dodging your pathetic attempts all battle long if you haven't noticed how this has been progressing." Sui-Feng replied, a bit of irritation in her voice at having been treated like a child with this apparent riddle.

"Let me explain, you see in order to dodge an opponent's ability one must move to a location that is unaffected by it, this is often done by taking cover or finding a spot where the power misses completely due to shape or area of influence." Harribel clarified before continuing on her apparent lecture.

"Which leads to this, how do you dodge an attack that has no blind spot and no safe zone, how can you avoid an attack that hits everywhere at the same time?"

*** _SoD_ ***

"Would you like to take a break Espada-San? I know you must be getting tired, after all with Sasakibe-San's arrival you have been on the defensive even more so than usual, and you are looking a bit tired." Shunsui called out to their opponent.

Indeed Stark was feeling a bit exhausted. Fighting the two Captains had been difficult enough, but he knew that the new addition was close to Captain level in potential as well.

"My friend is right Stark-San. I feel guilty for having ganged up on you like this so if you need to rest for a few minutes that is perfectly acceptable. This situation is rather unfair."

"You know it's kinda funny, facing you all like this has put so many things into perspective. I have seen the outcome of when soldiers choose to fight alone and when they fight together, and I must say I much prefer the latter of the two. You see my aspect of death is 'loneliness' and as such I never thought that I would be close to someone in my life, until I created Lillynette. Then we were found by Aizen and promised an end to the loneliness and despair. When we found the other Espada, however, I was only able to bond with a few of them. Even then it felt like something was missing from my life. That is until Aizen saved a young boy from the Seireitei."

"Ah I didn't know Aizen swung that way, well it sure does explain a lot I suppose." Kyoraku joked, earning a slight glare from the Espada.

"You see by introducing us to Ichigo you gave us something, even more than what I previously said he was. You see Ichigo has the gift of awakening feelings in each of us that we never knew were possible. For Harribel it was the knowledge that sacrifice wasn't necessary in order to win. For Nelliel she found someone who could devote more to her, and whom she could devote to, than she ever imagined. Ulquiorra found a friend who could open his eyes into what truly matters in this world. Finally, he promised me that I would never be alone again. Through these gifts we obtained something even greater than that."

"Oh and what is…" the lieutenant was quickly interrupted with a surge of spiritual power from the Espada.

*** _SoD_ ***

"It's over Espada, even with your formidable skill there is no chance that you will win this battle. Now surrender and we will make your death quick, I have a far more important man to kill" Hitsugaya demanded.

"The kid is right, you put up a good fight, but against three Captain class opponents and my lieutenant this battle is way past being over." Kensei chimed in, preparing himself for the final assault.

"I have always been amazed out how overly prideful and ignorant Shinigami are. You believe yourselves to be so superior to all forms of life simply because you live in a city and have someone that you call 'King'."

"It's not just that we have a civilization and a government, it's the idea that we are not simply monsters feeding on the innocent and driven by the most basic of instincts." Rose affirmed in an elegant manner.

"Once again you underestimate us. Tell me Shinigami, how many states does your Zanpakuto have?"

"A ridiculous question, they have three." Toshiro answered quickly, not understanding the point of it to begin with.

"Correct, they have a sealed state, Shikai, and Bankai. So tell me this, what makes you think that an Arrancar only has two forms?"

*** _SoD_ ***

As if synced with each other all four of the evolved Espada called out at the same time.

" _Segunda Etapa!_ "

***A/N***

How's that for a cliffhanger? I did promise quite a few of you one for this chapter and I hope I lived up to my promises.

A special thanks to " **Natsu is Awesome** " for the idea of Ichigo taking back Orihime's pinwheel… I had completely forgotten about it until he said something.

As I told several of you via message: this chapter was about Ichigo so expect a far more balanced chapter in a week or so.

I hope no one was disappointed by Ichigo's big confrontation with Mayuri, I realized it was going to be one of the most important conflicts in this story so I tried to make it as epic as possible to keep Ichigo from just curb stomping the bastard into the ground at the start.

 **Translations-**

Shikei shuuno Kaminari – Lightning of the Condemned

Cero Bloqueo – Cero Blockade

 **Casualties thus far and person responsible-**

Arrancar Forces:

Yammy killed by Komamura

Szayel killed by Tessai

Zommari killed by Hitsugaya

Nnoitra killed by Kensei

Wonderweiss killed by Kisuke

Tousen killed by Isshin

Baraggan killed by Kurotsuchi

Charlotte killed by Yachiru

Vega killed by Yachiru

Abirama killed by Chojiro

Findorr killed by Chojiro

Nirgge killed by Omaeda

Yylfordt killed by Renji

Rudbornn killed by Nemu

Di Roy killed by Hachi

Nakeem killed by Hachi

Aaroniero killed by Renji

Dordoni killed by Chojiro

Gantenbainne killed by Mashiro

Cirucci killed by Lisa

Shawlong killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Tesra killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Edrad killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Cyan killed by Mastumoto and Nanao

Hooleer killed by Kisuke and Isshin

Shinigami forces:

Iba killed by Powoww

Love killed by Baraggan

Izuru killed by Abirama and Findorr

Omaeda killed by Yylfordt

Lisa killed by Cirucci

Hisagi killed by an Arrancar

Matsumoto killed by Ayon

Kurotsuchi killed by Ichigo

Hope everyone enjoyed reading that chapter it was one of my favorites so far to write.


	28. Overwhelm

**Shadows of Deceit**

Overwhelm

I know I say this every chapter, but I really do appreciate everyone's reviews, reads, likes, and follows.

***ME NO OWN BLEACH! ***

*** _SoD_ ***

The rain seemed unending, drenching the entire battlefield and wearing down the morale of the Shinigami. Meanwhile the Espada themselves seemed to only be encouraged by it, as if the water was washing away all fear and doubt in the outcome of the war.

Komamura, Shinji, Hachi, and Sui-Feng gazed upon the transformed form of their opponent, the Tres Espada. In her new form Harribel was covered in a white skeleton like armor, with dark blue coverings between the white bone-like pieces. Her weapon had changed from a large blade into a spear with a large shark tooth protrusion at the end.

The Arrancar's face was now unobstructed, and the four Shinigami could see her piercing gaze despite the heavy rain.

The greatest change of all seemed to be her dramatic increase in spiritual power, which seemed to feel almost like an ocean of weight was pressing down on the entire battlefield, coating them with its power.

Finally the Espada broke the silence with an almost relieved sigh.

" _Diosa de las Ondas_ "

"So this is her equivalent of Bankai eh? If all four of them are this powerful we need to end this fight quickly, how about a good old fashioned three way assault?" Shinji suggested, and earning a nod from the other two as the combatants flashed forward. Shinji, being the least injured of the three, took center, while Komamura went to the side, and Sui-Feng circled around behind.

As the three charged forward the Espada leapt to meet them, moving out of the way from the heavy side slam and putting the Visored leader's timing slightly off with his horizontal attack. Easily parrying her blond opponent Harribel spun around and swung toward her rear flank.

The Second Division Captain barely managed to avoid what most likely would have been a devastating attack with a last moment activation of Shunko.

Unfortunately, they had been unaware of all the advantages of the Espada's new state.

A massive wave of water slammed forward, catching the woman by surprise and throwing her backward as she tried to negate the attack.

Next the Arrancar placed her free hand onto the other end of her spear, and slammed the center of the weapon into the face of the anthromorphic Captain, knocking him backwards and stunning him for a moment, before she completed her original spin with a diagonal slashed across Shinji's chest, cutting him deeply, as well as producing another wave of intense water to throw him from the skirmish.

Finishing up she kicked the remaining oversized Shinigami in the chest, launching him backwards a decent ways before turning her gaze on the so Kido specialist.

"I would suggest you leave this battle while you are able. It will be difficult for me to hold back from killing you in this state. I have already lost several comrades and a close friend and I have no interest in spilling more blood than is necessary."

Before the pink haired man could answer the Onmitsukido leader appeared to her left, fully coated in Shunko and driving her Zanpakuto towards the woman's head, only to watch as her target seemed to step out of the way, easily dodging the attack before slamming her fist into the overextended Shinigami's stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"H-how…"

"My thoughts exactly, how did you manage to become a Captain, much less the head of the stealth force, if you are not only unable to sneak up on your opponent, but also cannot analyze the battlefield you are standing in. Since activating this form the entire battlefield has been soaked in rain. I control water remember? That means that I control the battlefield. I can use it to slow down your attacks quite easily." The Espada answered, before throwing the poor woman towards the ground and causing a decent sized crater from the impact.

"You all should give up now since my ' _Illuvia Alma'_ has taken affect you no longer have any chance of surprising me or defeating me with raw speed. I could have just as easily slowed all three of you down and killed you during that last clash." The blonde woman continued, earning an annoyed growl from Komamura.

Again the largest Captain charged his enemy, intending on striking her down, only to watch in shock as his blade seemed to slow down before reaching her, as if he was trying to cut through the ocean itself. Easily stepping out of the way, the Arrancar slashed her blade forward, sending him flying into a nearby building with a wave of high pressure water.

"It also appears that you emit a wave each time you swing your weapon, is that true?" Hachi called out, in a very analytical tone.

"Indeed, _'Huelga de las Mareas'_ is now constantly in effect, allowing me to…"

But before the Tres Espada could finish her answer Sui-Feng flashed behind her, preparing to deliver a fatal strike to her spine.

As she slowed down the incoming attack the blonde caught sight of Shinji's spinning Zanpakuto, and his "sickening grin" as Aizen had called it.

Realizing what was about to happen, and being annoyed at herself for being caught in such a predicament, Harribel channeled her spiritual power letting forth an explosion of energy and water from herself in a sphere like release that seemed to take the water with it. The explosion condensed as it grew in size and speed.

" _Esfera Maremoto_ "

The female Captain was caught first, being launched backwards by the initial burst and then caught in the hardened shell of water making up the edge of the attack. Next was Komamura, who had moved in for support after seeing the intended strategy. He was hit with what felt like a wall of solid steel. The Visored leader had the presence of mind to flash next to Hachi, who had erected a hasty barrier at the flux of energy.

Unfortunately the wall was crushed before the force, sending slamming into both of the Visoreds and sending them flying backwards.

"Well that didn't go as planned." The former Captain chuckled as he picked himself out of the rubble of a partially caved in building, along with his friend.

The other two Captains appeared by his side a few moments later, both fairly injured from the powerful attack.

*** _SoD_ ***

As his form changed Stark recalled the training session around a week prior, when Ulquiorra had revealed his secret.

***Flashback***

"I wish to reveal to all of you something that not even Lord Aizen knows about." The pale Arrancar called out to the other four inhabitants of the training area. He had held off revealing this until he was sure that they would be safe from prying eyes.

"You see, through my personal training I have discovered a form beyond Resurreccion, allowing me to become far more powerful than before, and now I want to help you all achieve this state as well. The secret to this transformation seems to be the opposite of what was required to achieve our Resurreccions in the first place. We must focus on that driving force, that negative feeling that possesses us… and push past it to accepting that it no longer controls us." The Espada explained, receiving shocked and confused stares from his friends.

"Uh what do you mean exactly Ulquiorra?" the Primera inquired, scratching his head in a puzzled way.

"Well my aspect is emptiness. So by focusing on this feeling that nothing is important, that there is no need for emotions I achieved Resurreccion. But after I discovered my deeper friendship with all of you I have been able to accept that feelings and emotions are important. They drive us forward and allow us to plan for a future without war and conflict, a future of peace. It is through that realization that I activated this power, and I believe through this process you can all achieve the same."

***End Flashback***

The brown haired man simply shook his head, still surprised that Ulquiorra would have been the first among them to discover the improved state with his own lack of emotions. What had been even more surprising was that with this acceptance they could tap into a deeper part of their aspects than they had ever before.

"So this is your improved form eh Espada-San? I must admit that the increase in spiritual pressure is quite amazing but otherwise I feel like it is lacking in color." Shunsui replied with a chuckle.

Stark's outfit had changed into something resembling a cowboy's outfit. He wore a long black duster coat, with a similar undershirt and pants as before along with black combat boots. The white that had consumed his appearance before had been changed for blacks and browns. Finally a black wide brim hat partially concealed his eyes and face.

The most surprising change was that he no longer wielded his twin pistols. Instead they had been replaced with a single long rifle. With an image of a wolf engraved into the metal siding.

"So what do you call this transformed state? Since each Bankai has its own name I figure your new ability does as well." Ukitake called out, curious if his abilities had changed as well.

"It is called _Lobo Solitario_." Stark replied, eyeing the three from underneath his hat.

"Quite impressive, unfortunately you are at a decisive disadvantage due to your ally's ability Arrancar. You are currently soaked in rain water… Bankai!" The lieutenant called out, hoping to end their fight before it could begin.

A single gunshot rang out before he could complete his summoning, however. Stark had raised and fired his new weapon before the two Captains could even react, blowing a hole through the man's chest where his heart was located, and killing him instantly.

"I am well aware of the implications of her release, unfortunately for that reason I had to remove you as a threat. Someone who is powerful enough to injure your leader in his prime is far too dangerous to leave alive."

"You monster… he was only a lieutenant there was no reason to kill him!" The white haired Captain shouted in a rare moment of anger.

"Strange, he killed several of our officers and yet you don't even bother mentioning that. Do you truly believe yourselves to be the only form of life worth preserving?" The Espada questioned with a glare towards the two men.

"Please forgive my friend here Espada-San, all of this fighting and death has truly taken its toll on both him and myself." Shunsui apologized in a remorseful tone. "I would like to ask you about your attack though if you don't mind. It did not look like a normal Cero to me so I was curious if this was another modified attack of yours or not."

"I call it _Disparo_. It is a condensed Cero that travels far faster than the normal blast as you can see."

"Hm interesting, though I am curious as to why you would risk using such an attack against someone like Ukitake here…"

"Simple, his ability only works if he is able to parry the blast with his blade. If you truly wish to try such a foolish thing then I will be happy to fire at you. But I can tell you now it will not end well." The Arrancar spoke with finality.

Still the white haired man raised his blades, preparing for any future attacks.

"Hey Ukitake, perhaps we should resort to a more drastic solution to this duel eh?"

"I suppose so, especially if their ally really is creating this rain. There is no reason to think she cannot influence everything caught in it. I think it is time for us to even the playing field a bit. Bankai"

"Great, just when this fight was looking to be a bit easier on me…" the Primera sighed in annoyance as he watched the Captain's swords dissolve and be replaced by a Go board.

"You see Espada-San my full release allows me to…" As the man started on his explanation Stark immediately tuned him out and began strategizing, he already knew full and well what the Bankai was capable of. Did all of the Shinigami forget they had the stolen information on them?

'This is freaking great. I knew I should have removed him at the start rather than messing around with him and Shunsui to avoid killing anyone. This is what I get for trying to be a nice guy and cut the death toll down. Well now he has to be removed from combat, with his ability to swap the locations of any two combatants on the field and communicate with everyone telepathically he has the power to do some serious damage.'

"…So now you see that this battle is over Stark-San, I would recommend that you and your allies surrender peacefully." The Shinigami ended his explanation, not realizing most of it had been ignored.

"Yeah the problem with that is we aren't stupid enough to believe that you would be 'compassionate' enough to let us live even if we did surrender. After all you execute your own associates and family members for insignificant crimes while you allow others to carry out atrocities against your enemies."

"As you wish Espada-San, hopefully this will end with as little bloodshed as possible."

*** _SoD_ ***

"Behold, I call this form _La Verdadera Desesperacion_. Know now that you no longer have any chance of victory, with the four of us in our fully released states all hope you have will dissipate before your very eyes." Ulquiorra called out, while the Shinigami before him struggled to catch their breaths under the massive increase in spiritual pressure.

Unfortunately Mashiro could no longer hold up under the pressure and fell from the sky, unconscious, forcing Kensei to save her and move to a safer location before returning to the battle.

"I appreciate you waiting for me to return, and allowing me to save my lieutenant Espada." Kensei called out to his opponent.

"As strange as this may sound we wish to keep casualties as low as possible on both sides. Exterminating you would serve no purpose in the long run." Ulquiorra replied, "You were wise to remove her from the area though. Of us four with a second release my Reiatsu is the most dangerous. If left exposed for longer periods of time she would most likely have died."

"Impressive ability, hopefully that is not the only thing to have changed in your new form though." Rose remarked, drawing his Zanpakuto once more and cursing the fact that he had no idea whether his Bankai would be effective again.

The Espada blurred forward, slamming his fist into the Visored's stomach, launching the man back and into a faraway building. Immediately he spun around, catching the silver haired man's fist and drawing back his other hand to smash the man's face in. He was forced to dodge out of the way from the prodigy's blade, though, and put some distance between himself and the two warriors while keeping them all within eyesight.

"It seems as though your physical abilities have also increased." Hitsugaya remarked, eyeing his opponent in an annoyed manner. He had to finish up this fight and move onto smearing Aizen all over the battlefield. "Unfortunately for you one of your allies has made a grave mistake. As you know I control all water and ice under heaven, thus by filling the area with rain she has unknowingly given me all the ammunition I could ever need for the upcoming battles."

Rather than the terrified expression he was hoping for the Arrancar merely stared back at him passively, as if he was waiting for the boy to tell him something he hadn't already known and accounted for.

"Now watch as YOUR hope fades before you in the wake of an ice storm!" the Captain shouted, before pointing the tip of his blade towards his opponent,

A moment passed and then another.

Kensei merely raised his eyebrow in confusion as the Tenth Division Captain's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh you were unaware? I had read that you are considered a genius the likes of which Soul Society has never seen. To have misinterpreted your opponent's ability, especially when you hope to use it yourself, is quite embarrassing. You see the water that now soaks all life on the battlefield is not rain it is Harribel's Spiritual energy itself taking physical form. That is why her opponents are able to remain standing on their own free will, while my other superior comrade is facing above Captain Class opponents himself, and thus those two are able to resist."

'Her residual spirit power has taken physical form!? In order for that to be true her transformation would have had to either release an absolute monstrous amount of power, or the density increased to such a degree where it would naturally become like this.' Toshiro's mind raced at the implications of what the Espada had claimed, and thus wasn't fast enough to react when the Arrancar appeared above him, and slammed him towards the ground with one of his wings.

Immediately moving to help Rose wrapped his Zanpakuto around his enemy's hand, preventing him from pursuing the assault. That is until Ulquiorra yanked the surprised Visored towards him and delivered a powerful blow to the man's face with his untangled arm.

The pale Espada then ducked under a surprise attack by Kensei, who had reactivated his Hollow mask. He then proceeded to throw his last opponent into the blond, who had just recovered from the blow and activated his mask as well. A split second later, the Arrancar sent a powerful Cero blasting into the two entangled men, dealing heavy damage to both and sending them careening backwards.

"Quite unimpressive I must say, I expected far more from a so called 'genius' and two former Captains turned Visored. Even with one of your Bankais being rendered useless you should be at least able to damage me in my new form." The Espada called out, earning a growl from the recovered white haired Captain.

"Damn you… after I turn you into a Popsicle I am going to tear your leader apart for what he did to Hinamori!" The Shinigami shouted out in rage and frustration.

"What exactly do you mean? I was not aware that Ichigo had any interactions with your friend." The black haired man responded, curious as to what the boy meant.

"What? No I mean Aizen you bastard! Why the hell would I be talking about that useless…"

Before he could finish his insult, the 'genius' found himself being choked by the Espada's tail, a look of rage on the man's face as he glared directly into his eyes.

"I will warn you only one time brat, if you speak poorly of any of my comrades again I shall rip your intestines out of your body and strangle you with them. I have not spoken poorly of your deceased friend or any that have been reported as being close to you and I expect the same respect from you." The Arrancar put an exclamation on this threat by tail whipping the boy into a nearby structure, causing part of it to collapse under the force.

Glancing at the other two combatants he was satisfied when they put their hands in a defensive way.

"Hey I never even met the kid so I have no problems with him, right Rose?"

"Uh yeah of course…"

*** _SoD_ ***

"ALRIGHT NOW THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!" Kenpachi roared as he charged toward the transformed female. But before he could reach her Byakuya flash stepped in front of him, and brought his sword up to the man's throat, stopping his assault.

"What the hell do you think you are do…"

"Be quiet you moron, Renji!"

Instantly the red head appeared by his Captain's side. "Yes sir?"

"I take it you have noticed her dramatic increase in power?"

"Of course sir, I am able to stand but without Bankai I would guess my overall effectiveness has dropped by about half."

"I am impressed you are still able to stand at all. Either way we need to ascertain her new abilities, I have learned the hard way that ignoring her changes is dangerous and foolish."

"Speak for yourself you stuck up prick! We were kicking her ass before…"

"He is correct Captain Zaraki." Tessai noted as he appeared next to the three men. "Her power has increased substantially and if we recall she mentioned her defensive capabilities. I would imagine her tactic has changed quite dramatically now." The exile spoke as he gazed at their opponent.

The green haired beauty stood in what appeared to be a form of leather and bronze armor that covered her upper body and extended to her shoulders. She wore wrist and shin guards along with sandals and a mid-thigh length leather skirt. Finally a helmet adorned her head covering the sides and back of her neck with a center piece running down her nose. Instead of her lance she now bore a large dark grey shield and a curved short sword.

" _Esmeralda de Soltera._ In this form my aspect of devotion is brought to its pinnacle. My defense has increased to the point where I am near invincible. Allowing me to fight even against impossible odds for those I have sworn to protect."

"So what is the plan then, obviously if she claims to be the strongest defensively then her offense will suffer. Unfortunately by the looks of things the others will need our help soon. We cannot afford to get bogged down in a battle of attrition." Tessai commented, trying to formulate a plan to remove the new threat.

Before the others could comment, the woman shot forward at a high speed, swinging down with her new blade fast enough that Kenpachi barely had time to parry it, drawing a wide eyed look from the only lieutenant present. Spinning around instantly she cut into Byakuya's leg before bashing her shield into the spiky haired Captain's torso, sending him reeling backwards from the force.

Raising her sword she blocked the counter attack by the now bleeding Shinigami still in front of her before pushing his sword back with raw strength and kicking him in the chest.

The red haired man had extended his Zanpakuto towards the woman in retaliation but she merely stepped backwards, causing the blade to miss and exposing the man to her own counter attack, which she would have dealt but was forced to dodge back when the exile lunged forward with an open palm thrust.

"Now this is what I am talking about! LET'S RIP IT UP BITCH!" Zaraki shouted in glee as he swung his sword vertically toward his opponent, only for the Arrancar in question to lazily block it with her shield, appearing to ignore the blow entirely.

"It is time that we end this pointless battle, Scatter!" With that a massive surge of pink petals assaulted the woman from all angles, making it impossible for her to block or escape the assault.

"Aw what fun is a fight if you just end it…" Kenpachi growled out before looking on with an amused smile as the woman appeared completely uninjured from the attack.

She had crouched down and raised her shield to her head, creating a barrier around her that looked to be composed of multiple hexagon shapes connected by spiritual energy.

" _Tortuga,_ As I have told you, my defensive powers are the greatest among all Espada, did you truly believe I would be defeated so easily?" The Espada called out after her shield faded and she resumed her normal stance.

"Perhaps not, but now I know exactly what your defenses are capable of, _Senkei_ "

Immediately the petals began to form a dome of pink swords completely enclosing the five combatants within its shadowy confines.

"You are the second person to ever witness this ability Hollow, now I have sworn to cut you down with my own hands."

"Get in line Kuchki, now is when the real fun starts!" Kenpachi again charged forward, this time bringing both of his hands up to swing his blade down in a Kendo attack, greatly increasing the power.

Nelliel merely raised her shield again, and parried the blow stopping it immediately, much to the shock of everyone present.

"Is that it? You were praised so highly by the SRDI for your strength and swordsmanship, and yet you cannot even get me to budge from this spot." The Arrancar called out in a disapproving voice.

A second later she pushed back throwing the Captain off of her shield and spun to block Renji's Bankai, which he had released to catch her at unawares.

Again her guard completely stopped the attack, the Bankai not even succeeding in pushing her backwards, much to the man's surprise.

"Not bad but that wasn't the entire point! _Hikotsu Taiho_!" Immediately the skeleton head of his weapon charged a massive energy blast which impacted at point blank range.

Instead of the explosive impact he was expecting the blast was merely absorbed into the shield itself, which glowed faintly afterwards.

"H-how…"

Byakuya immediately charged in, hoping to take advantage of the woman's unguarded flank, but found she had already forced back his lieutenant's weapon and parried his with her own blade, before swinging her shield's edge forward like a weapon. His temporary blade shattered back into petals instantly and the nobleman being forced backwards before calling another two swords from the dome around them.

*** _SoD_ ***

Hereyo

As the four, above Captain level, combatants clashed again and again Urahara began to realize that at the current rate several of them would be dead before a positive outcome could be reached, if they emerged victorious at all.

Suddenly Ichigo knocked the other two away, and raised his hand towards the shopkeeper.

" _Cero_ " The boy uttered before charging a powerful red blast.

His inner scientist taking over, Kisuke raised his Zanpakuto before creating Blood Mist Shield before him, wanting to test the extent of Ichigo's new power.

As he fired the energy wave Ichigo looked on in annoyance at how he was still being "tested" by the man before him. He was still being analyzed with an almost sickening fascination, as if he was a lab specimen.

When the smoke cleared the shield had held, albeit severely cracked.

"Oh my very impressive Ichigo-kun, that was even stronger than your first Getsuga Tensho. Do you remember when we had our little spar? You trying to knock my hat off after running away for so long?" the man replied happily.

Ichigo growled his anger at not being taken seriously getting to him.

Again he charged an energy attack at the end of his hand, this time distinctively blue.

" _Gran Rey Cero_ "

This time a considerably stronger blue beam roared forth, and Urahara once again raised his sword to create a barrier, only to be pulled out of the way by a pissed off woman.

"DAMNIT KISUKE WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Awww come on Yoruichi…" The man said with a pout.

"No, not this time we both know the only reason your barrier survived the last attack was because you reinforced it with _Danku_ at the last second. If you had tried that again it would have breached your barrier and turned you into a bloody mess, AND I REFUSE TO CLEAN UP YOUR SHIT AGAIN!" the dark skinned woman exasperated, punching the blond in the head before glaring at the third companion, as if daring him to make a comment.

"Unfortunately she is right Isshin, we need to take care of Ichigo before Aizen becomes any more powerful, and this is already going to be hard enough as is. Bakudo number Sixty One, Bakudo number Sixty Three, Bakudo number Seventy Nine." With that Ichigo found himself bound by six rays of light on his torso, a Kido chain wrapped around those, and finally eight black holes bound around him with one on his torso completely binding him in place.

"Kisuke what are you…." Isshin stuttered out, afraid of what the answer would be.

"I am sorry Ichigo… 'Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. _Senju Koten Taiho!_ " Kisuke declared, as he fired the ten pink spear-like projectiles towards the bound Espada.

"DAMNIT KISUKE NO THAT'S MY SON!" Isshin roared, as he charged forward, trying to intercept the attack.

Due to the massive fluctuation in spiritual energy, along with the shouting, the other combatants turned towards the commotion.

The remaining Espada's eyes opened wide in fear, realizing they would never reach the boy in time to protect him.

Even Aizen moved to try and intercept the attack, fully realizing he was immortal at this point but was unwilling to lose his new weapon. Unfortunately his opponent, albeit weakened, managed to block his path with a roaring inferno.

Ichigo simply gazed as the oncoming assault, with an almost bored look in his eyes.

Just as the attack was about to reach him… Ichigo vanished. But it wasn't as if he had broken free and dodged the attack. The binding Kido was still present, although the energy chain began falling towards the ground with nothing to be attached to.

All present watched, beyond shocked, as the powerful spell passed through the space the Arrancar once occupied, and continued on, impacting a nearby building.

Suddenly the boy reappeared behind Urahara, delivering a cut to his shoulder, and just to add insult to injury, his hat as well.

"You shouldn't apologize until your opponent is defeated Urahara, I would have thought that a genius of your level would have known that."

"B-b-b-but h-h-how?" The blond stuttered out, his brain running through dozens of scenarios as to what he had just witnessed.

The other Shinigami couldn't even form words to try and comprehend what had happened.

Was it Aizen's doing? Glancing over Isshin noticed the rebel leader's face was the same as Kisuke's, raw shock. Even the Captain Commander's eyes were open in surprise. Maybe it was Ukitake? The Shiba clan head had heard that he was able to switch anyone's positions on a battlefield using his Bankai, but as he squinted the two duel wielding Captains were just as surprised even from their distant vantage point.

Maybe it was the Hogyoku's doing somehow? Other than that Isshin had no freaking clue as to what could allow someone to completely free themselves from multiple binding spells…WITHOUT breaking them.

*** _SoD_ ***

As the shock wore off, the battles continued. The Shinigami ignored what had just occurred, being under the philosophy of 'nope that didn't just happen, no way, because that would be ridiculous'.

Now Stark found himself pushing back the single opponent he faced. Even though the one had activated his Bankai it was limited in single one on one duels and was designed for mass combat where he could control the entire battlefield.

Shunsui had intelligently charged forward, forcing the Espada into close combat and trying to negate the speed and accuracy of the Arrancar's rifle.

Unfortunately the Primera was still able to fight back and after summoning his ' _bayoneta'_ he was able to deliver quite a few cuts to his opponent even with a single weapon against two.

This pace abruptly stopped though, when Stark broke through Shunsui's defenses and aimed a powerful thrust towards the man's torso, only to be horrified when the blade stabbed into Ichigo instead.

Ukitake had switched the two combatants at the last second, causing him to stab his friend.

Immediately the Primera retracted his blade, throwing his arm forward to catch the surprised boy and prevent him from falling.

"I-Ichigo… I… I didn't mean to…"

"I know Stark, it's okay I still managed to avoid any internal organs being punctured, gotta say you pack one hell of a stab though." The boy weakly chuckled, trying to catch his breath as his regeneration kicked in.

"That bastard…" the Espada growled out, focusing his glare on the white haired man who watched on with the expression of a hardened warrior. "I was going to just injure him enough to cancel his Bankai but now…"

"He has to be stopped Stark, if that had been Harribel or Nel…"

"I know Ichigo… don't worry I am ending this bastard. Then I will help the others."

Ichigo nodded in reply and flashed back towards his personal battle, while Shunsui reappeared with a somewhat sympathetic look on his face.

"Sorry about that Stark-San, but this is a battle after all, and we will do whatever it takes to win."

"I am painfully aware of that. Unfortunately you made a very big mistake, not as bad as you could have but still… You see you have managed to piss off three of your opponents now. You made me stab my brother, and you injured the lover of the two Arrancar females. The only possible way you could have made this worse is if it had been one of the two girls instead. In which case Ichigo would have ripped Ukitake's head off with his bare hands." Stark spoke with a tone of hatred in his voice not present before.

" _Niebbla de la ocultacion_ "

Suddenly the area surrounding the Primera began to fog up, concealing the Espada and his surrounding from the views of the two Captains

"Oh my, it appears he is changing the rules of the game on us. I wonder why?" Shunsui muttered to his close friend.

"I would imagine that he believes my Bankai works on the principle of being able to see my opponents, perhaps the SRDI had outdated information on their subjects? I certainly haven't used this power since it has evolved beyond that."

"Then I suppose we should try the 'Dogeza' and end this before he gets any more tricky eh?" Shunsui replied bringing his sword above his head as Ukitake took a pose where he bowed his hands and head to the ground.

As the standing man brought his blades down in a decapitating act Ukitake switched his position with that of Stark's energy signature, to put Stark into a position where he would be immediately decapitated.

The Eighth Division Captain only had time to widen his eyes in shock, as Ukitake was replaced not by their opponent, but by a humanoid figure made of red and black flames.

As his swords impacted the creature it detonated, creating a large explosion and heavily damaging the man.

Less than a second later a tremendous explosion emanated from the mist, shaking all of the surrounding buildings and causing heavy damage with just the resulting shockwave.

*** _Moments before_ ***

Ukitake found himself in a deep fog bank, surrounded on all sides by strange creatures that seemed to be made of living flame.

"Foolish…" the voice of the Espada called out, before the four creatures lunged forward, detonating themselves upon contact.

*** _SoD_ ***

As the fog subsided, and Shunsui struggled to regain his bearing, he gazed upon Ukitake's remains, falling from the sky. His body had been completely torn apart by the massive explosion, leaving no doubt of his demise.

"I told him that he would regret causing me to strike my brother. As you said we are at war and we will do whatever is necessary to win. Unfortunately he made the mistake of believing I thought his ability worked on sight alone. These creations of mine, Stark made a slight gesture to the hundreds of flame like entities standing behind him in military formation, share my spiritual signature, and the fog allows me to conceal anything I wish from view or detection. It was rather simple for me to hide all but a single one of my creation's presence senses."

"I am going to kill you Espada, Ukitake was my friend and if you believe that I will let his death go un-avenged then you are sadly mistaken. Prepare to die." The man brought up both of his swords, the tips extended downward as Stark instantly realized what he was about to do, and raised his fist, while bracing his raised wrist with his other hand. His rifle slung on his back.

"Ban…"

" _Cero Eighty-Eight_ "

Instantly a black bolt of energy fired from the Arrancar's fist, traveling far too fast for the Captain to dodge or finish his activation. The attack slammed into the man's chest, causing what appeared to be a very small burst of energy, but massive damage to the Shinigami.

His body was nearly torn apart, ripping his limbs into bloody pieces while reducing his torso into a gory shadow of itself.

The Captain fell, mercifully losing consciousness.

*** _SoD_ ***

"We need to think of a different strategy." Rose lamented, after being thrown into another building, and shakily picking himself out of it.

"Yeah no kidding, the problem is that the brat is barely even listening to us, he just keep charging forward forcing us to save his ass from being torn apart." Kensei agreed.

"Perhaps we should just give him an opening then?"

"Alright what do you have in mind Rose?"

Meanwhile Hitsugaya against charged toward the expressionless Espada, throwing a barrage of ice daggers causing his opponent to block them with his wing before swatting him away with hardly any effort.

"This is getting tiresome I believe I have been toying with you three for long enough."

Suddenly the Arrancar found the Visored's whip wrapped around his arms, binding them to his chest. Glancing over he found both Visoreds holding the weapon, Hollow Masks donned.

"Alright kid you got your opening. Now take him out!" the silver haired man shouted, earning a nod from the recovered prodigy who charged forward at full speed.

Instead Ulquiorra broke the tug of war, by charging toward the two Visoreds, using their own force of keeping him in check to help propel him.

Immediately Kensei released the whip and activated his Bankai, swinging his fist toward the pale man who ducked under the blow, and proceeded to head butt the blond. Gasping the Visored released the whip and stumbled backwards, forcing his comrade to try and engage the Arrancar in hand to hand combat.

Hitsugaya came in a moment later, trying to impale the man from behind, but was dodged at the last moment.

"There's no other option, at this rate we will lose." The flamboyant man whispered to himself before finding his resolve.

"Bankai!"

Knowing it was a gamble that their immunity would still be in effect Rose realized that it would be the only way to end the battle.

The Arrancar's eyes shot wide open, as he felt himself falling under the illusion from the former Captain's power, and dashed forward, ducking under a Bankai enhanced punch from the other Visored. Spinning around the Espada then used the edge of his wing to cut through the blonde's neck, severing his head from his body and killing him instantly.

"ROSE NO! YOU BASTARD!" the enraged former Captain shouted as he charged toward the executioner at full speed while swinging haphazardly at him.

" _Hyoten Hyakkso_ "

Suddenly the sky opened above the two combatants as snow began flowing down at an alarming rate.

Luckily for the Visored Hitsugaya created a dome of ice around him, shielding him from the effect.

Just as the first snowflakes began to sprout into flowers on the Espada the white haired boys shoulder exploded.

The technique immediately halting as Toshiro looked wide eyed behind him as off in the distance he spotted Shunsui and Ukitake's enemy, a rifle raised in his hand and smoking from being recently fired.

Ulquiorra immediately flashed in front of the stunned warrior, placing his hand on the Shinigami's chest.

" _Cero Oscuras_ "

The darkness completely consumed the young Captain, whose last thoughts were, 'Hinamori… I am sorry.'

Kensei could only watch on in horror as the shadowy Cero faded and no trace of the genius remained.

"Damnit…" the Visored muttered out, watching as the dome protecting him shattered.

"Now what, are you going to kill me too Arrancar?"

"Although it is certainly within my power to do so, I was thinking of a slightly different outcome." Ulquiorra replied, appearing in front of the man and stabbing him in the stomach with what appeared to be a green energy lance.

Kensei, having using up the last of his energy in his recent Bankai activation, fell towards the ground, losing consciousness as he did so.

*** _SoD_ ***

As the two more powerful males struggled in a losing sword contest against the Espada Hachi had begun formulating a plan, and had called Sui-Feng to his side to finalize the details. Nodding in acceptance the woman disappeared in a burst of Shunpo to hide in wait for the signal.

Once Komamura had been launched backwards by one of Harribel's stronger kicks Shinji immediately shot backwards in a blur of Shunpo, leaving the woman a bit confused at his action.

Suddenly a large barrier of white formed in front of her, while a round circle appeared to her left and a honeycomb like structure to her right.

Glancing below she saw the Visored conducting a rapid motion with his fingers, creating a ring of fire above her and finally connecting all of the barriers with invisible walls, effectively sealing her inside.

'Interesting technique, I wonder what they plan to do now that I am stuck inside though…' the Espada pondered, before noticing her female opponent to the side of the box, her Bankai activated and preparing to fire.

It was then that the Arrancar realized the danger she was in, taking a contained shot from the Captain's strongest blast would severely weaken her, even in her Segunda state.

It was then that the circular barrier opened, allowing Sui-Feng to unleash her most powerful attack.

*** _SoD_ ***

Nelliel had felt the buildup of energy, and immediately knew what was about to happen. Racing forward toward her fellow Espada she summoned speed even she wasn't aware that she was capable of, and managed to intercept the blast, shield raised.

*** _SoD_ ***

Sui-Feng saw the other Arrancar appear a second before her attack impacted, smiling as she believed this would eliminate both at once.

All of the Captains could only watch on in shock as the explosion was absorbed back into the Espada's shield, leaving them both unharmed.

A second later Byakuya, Kenpachi, Tessai, and Renji arrived with the others.

"So she can even absorb an attack of that magnitude, incredible." Tessai muttered, earning a glare from several of the other Captains

"This wouldn't have been a problem if you could handle your opponent." The female Shinigami growled out in annoyance.

"Well if your attack wasn't so damn obvious then we wouldn't be having this conversation." Kenpachi retorted.

Before the two could escalate into a brawl Shinji interrupted.

"ENOUGH look we weren't getting anywhere with our opponent, and apparently you weren't either but now it is eight on two, should be much easier to eliminate one of them now that we have a larger assortment of options to work with."

"The blond haired creep is right! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" Zaraki shouted as he charged forward, earning a groan from the others who reluctantly followed, hoping to overwhelm the two.

Hachi immediately dissolved his barriers, allowing the two Arrancar to be flanked from all sides.

In an instant Harribel appeared behind Nelliel, backs facing each other as they prepared for the assault.

As Shinji began spinning his Zanpakuto, Nel caught sight of his action, "Shinji" she called out, to which Harribel replied by spinning her spear above her head, creating a whirlwind of water surrounding the two warriors and directing the upper funnel to curve towards the Visored leader.

"Ah crap…"

Were the last words Shinji got out before being hit full force, throwing him through a nearby skyscraper and into the ground, taking him out of the battle with force.

Kenpachi, however, was not deterred and cut through the whirlwind in an attempt to strike at the two women, only to find his shield blocked by the green haired beauty, allowing her ally to cancel the swinging motion and stab underneath the raised shield impacting the man in the stomach before violently throwing him to the ground with a burst of water sent at bone crushing force.

Following Nel spun around her friend's extended form, slashing the Onmitsukido leader across her torso just as she had flashed into position to stab the dark skinned Espada from behind.

After dropping the woman Nel raised a finger from her shield arm, and fired a Cero towards the barrier master, taking him out of the skirmish with a large explosion.

A split second later Harribel swung her spear upwards, creating a water geyser which knocked Renji's Bankai off course, and followed with a _La Gota_ breaking several of the red head's bones and knocking him out.

Komamura's Bankai appeared above the two a moment later, swinging its massive sword downwards to split the two in half, instead Nel Swung her blade upwards, cutting not only through the blade, but also splitting the giant in half diagonally, killing its owner from the damage as well.

Sensing the danger her friend was in Nel immediately spun both of them around one hundred and eighty degrees, putting her shield forward, and blocking the enhanced white blade that the Kuchki family head had summoned in a desperate last attempt at victory.

"You should understand how pointless this battle is before you die Byakuya. My shield does not just block all attacks, it absorbs the energy of the blasts and the force behind the blows allowing me to channel it into my blade at will. Essentially you helped me kill your fellow Captain, and now yourself."

Byakuya's face expressed shock for the last time, as the Espada slashed forward, focusing the energy she had absorbed from his last attack to cut through his Bankai, and his torso in the process.

As the Sixth Division Captain fell, his life force draining, he imagined Rukia and Hisana standing before him with a deep sadness and disappointment in their eyes. Reaching out he tried to grab a hold of them, before they faded, his existence following shortly after.

Tessai had caught Sui-Feng after her fall, immediately applying healing Kido to try and save her life from the devastating wound she had received. Unfortunately he detected the two Espadas appear before him. Looking up he saw a questioning look in their eyes.

"Will she live?" Harribel called out, motioning toward the woman in his arms.

"Yes but her energy is exhausted, even if she does she will be no threat to you for the remainder of this battle."

"Very well, we will allow you to stabilize her and any others you can find. Remember this though, if they choose to try and attack any of us, we will not hesitate to strike them down." Nelliel replied, earning a nod of understanding from the man before they disappeared, joining Ulquiorra in the sky to observe the rest of the war.

*** _SoD_ ***

Captain Unohana was trying desperately to save Shunsui's life, at this point she wasn't even sure she could with the massive amount of internal damage he had suffered from the Espada's last attack.

Suddenly she felt the barrel of a gun being pressed against the back of her head. Instinctively she reached for her sword with one hand, while keeping the other applying healing Kido.

"Don't move, you will not be able to draw and attack before I am able to fire. Even if you manage to dodge the fatal shot he will be killed in the process. I doubt you want his blood on your hands, Kenpachi Yachiru."

"What do you want Arrancar?"

"What the rest of us want, peace. I am tired of this war and bloodshed already. I hope you can save this man's life, because despite what he has done to me and my brethren I suffer no ill will towards him. Perhaps he will help bring peace between us."

"I must ask out of curiosity, what was that last attack?"

Sighing, the man thought back to their encounter, before diverting his gaze to the battles still taking place.

"It is called ' _Cero Eighty-Eight'_. It is a version of _Cero Oscuras_ that is hyper compressed to a single shot. By doing so its raw destructive power is vastly diminished but all of its energy is converted into a single burst. My brother taught it to me as a promise that there would always be a bond between us that was unique. That is why I am one of the only two Espada who know how to use it."

"Then why did you not use it at the start of the battle?"

"Simple, it is almost always a killing technique. I had to turn down the power in order to avoid outright killing the man before you. If my brother were to use it there would be no possibility of his opponent surviving, or keeping their form afterwards. The only thing remaining would be the mist of their blood."

*** _SoD_ ***

As the battles around them began coming to a close Kisuke was becoming to get very nervous. So far they had barely managed to injure their opponent while his attacks had taken a toll on the three of them. His fighting style had allowed him to not only combat three opponents at once, but once he began utilizing those chains of his it became incredibly deadly, allowing him to making holes in their defenses at any time and any point he wished that he could exploit with lethal accuracy.

Yoruichi had already lost all four of the pieces of armor the shopkeeper had created.

The blond was running out of tricks that he could utilize and was tiring from the Kido he was forced to activate.

Isshin was fairing the worst though, not only was he the frequent targets of their enemy's anger but his spirit seemed to be breaking just from the fact of having to fight against his own son.

Suddenly a massive wave of energy emanated from the direction of Aizen and Yamamoto's battle, and the elder Shinigami's energy signature dropped tremendously, signaling his defeat at the hands of the, now, immortal.

Ichigo spared only a glance in the direction before narrowing his eyes, almost in annoyance, and leaping backwards from the skirmish.

"It appears as though Aizen-Sama has finished his battle." The boy called out, earning a wince from his father at the honorifics he chose. "Too bad, I was hoping to beat the three of your heads in a little while longer before wrapping this up."

Shaking his head in a somewhat disappointed manner Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto horizontally in front of him, and gripped the blade with his left hand directly above the guard of the sword.

"Kisuke what is he…" Yoruichi whispered out before a flash of black energy consumed the boy.

***Flashback***

"Damnit! I still can't figure out this Resurreccion thing!" Ichigo shouted out in frustration, causing his four companions to glance over at him in question.

"Ichigo its okay, you are probably strong enough to beat anyone without it anyway. Why try and force yourself to feel such negative emotions?" Nelliel asked.

"Because I can't be sure I will be able to protect all of you without this… besides I feel like it is something that I am being left out of that you all share."

Stark smiled warmly at his brother before approaching him with a calm tone.

"Ichigo if you truly believe that then we will help you, we just didn't want to see you hurt any more than you already were when you arrived here. The way that I found my power was through meditation, it allowed me to force those emotions I had been suppressing to the surface of my mind and relive the pain. If you truly want this then that is what I would suggest you try."

Harribel glanced over at the Primera, scowling at the man's suggestion to bring back such painful memories.

Nodding in thanks the boy sat down before them and cleared his mind, before closing his eyes and thinking back to that terrible incident, the discovery of his friends.

Instantly his mind brought him back to the laboratory, staring at their bodies on the slabs. His eyes widened as their horrified faces turned to him.

"Why did you leave us Ichigo?"

"Why couldn't you save us?"

"I thought you said you would always have my back, where were you?"

"Why Kurosaki? Why did you fail?"

Ichigo could only watch as tears ran down his face at their accusations that he knew were true deep down. He had let them down, he had failed them.

Suddenly he looked up, and saw that instead of his friends, it was the four Arrancar that he had grown close to lying on the tables.

"You failed again Ichigo. You said that we were friends but you let us down."

"You called us lovers do you not even care enough to save us?"

"Once again everyone sacrifices themselves for you. Once again you let that go to waste."

"I called you my brother Ichigo so why did you let me die alone?"

That familiar feeling began to surface again, the feeling he had felt the first time he had been here, the feeling of loss and sorrow.

The feeling of _Anguish_

***End Flashback***

"Overwhelm, Aturdir"

As the energy sphere subsided, the three Shinigami gasped in shock, at the transformation.

Ichigo stood before them, his white clothing having been replaced by a black trench coat with torn sleeves at the shoulders. Along his bare arms wove two chains on both, spinning towards his hands in a double spiral pattern ending at two gauntlets covering his hands.

Underneath the coat was a tight black armor that accentuated his muscular torso. His legs were also covered by a black armor ending in combat style boots.

After a moment of silence Ichigo shot forward, blurring directly in front of the three ex-Captains. Kisuke reflexively raised his Zanpakuto to attack, but found his arm caught in a black chain.

Ichigo immediately slashed across the man's chest, blades seeming to appear out of nowhere from his gauntlets.

As Yoruichi activated Shunko to retaliate he easily caught her punch, and slammed his elbow into her stomach, throwing her back into a building and causing its collapse.

Seeing his two companions felled so easily Isshin raised his Zanpakuto above his head, hating what he was about to do, before swinging it downward onto the Espada.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The Shiba clan head had to force the tears back from his eyes, he could weep over striking his son like that later, after the battle was won.

As the smoke cleared he could see that it wouldn't be necessary, a massive wall of chains had been formed between the two warriors and stopped the attack completely.

Bursting through them Ichigo slammed one of his hands, and the blade attached to it, into his father's stomach, causing the older man to cough up blood and sending him falling to the ground below. The man was conscious but was unable to participate further in the battle.

*** _SoD_ ***

"Very well done Ichigo, it appears that we are only waiting on Gin's arrival before we proceed to our final victory." Aizen complimented as he appeared before the Espada, having undergone two transformations and thus sporting a new set of strange looking wings.

Moments later said silver haired Captain arrived, smirking as always.

"Sorry about that Captain Aizen, I finished up with Matsumoto early but I didn't see any good opportunities to interfere with the battles."

"Quite alright Gin, I see that the other four Espada have also survived." Aizen responded, gesturing towards the other four Espada who stood nearby. "I am quite impressed with the new forms that they have obtained, it will make the destruction of the Royal Guard that much easier. Now then, Gin if you would be so kind as to open a Senkaimon to where Soul Society has relocated Karakura town we can begin the process of creating the Oken."

As Gin stepped past the hybrid he reached out towards the man's blade, only to have his hand caught by a smirking Aizen.

"Did you truly believe I would let you immunize yourself to Kyoka Suigetsu? I no longer have the need for your attempt to assassinate me Gin, how unfortunate with you having been such a skilled lieutenant."

Aizen instantly back handed the startled man, sending him flying backwards. The rebel leader then smiled, preparing to charge forward and end the life of the double agent. Only to find his arm restrained.

"How about we stop pretending that I am going to stand by and let you murder thousands of innocent people Aizen? We both know this was going to happen one way or another." A voice calmly spoke, out .

Chuckling Aizen returned the challenge.

"I suppose our rematch is long overdue isn't it Ichigo Kurosaki?"

***A/N***

For those of you who are confused by Ichigo's actions… did anyone really believe he would just let Aizen massacre thousands of people? Even from the start Ichigo was never going to be an "evil" character. To do that requires too much fundamental changing of Ichigo's character, or just saying he is evil for no real reason. This was planned from the start, so I wasn't just making stuff up as I went along. Also all the Segundas have been planned out for a dozen or so chapters now.

Just in case anyone is worried, Ichigo's Resurreccion is going to be expanded upon next chapter dramatically. Also, and I am super excited for this part, Ichigo's powers ARE going to be explained next chapter as well, I wanted to build as much mystery and confusion surrounding them as possible before the big reveal.

Finally just to clarify. A question was asked about Nel and Ichigo's "death aspects" Nel's is Devotion while Ichigo's is Anguish. If you all remember I had a chapter named after Ichigo's a while back and Nel's was kind of hinted at when Stark was talking to Shunsui a chapter or two ago.

 **Segunda Etapa Descriptions below-**

For those of you who can't picture Harribel's armor, just 'google' "Segunda Etapa Harribel" it's the result the actually looks like she's wearing clothing…

As for Stark's rifle, I picture it looking like a Winchester model.

Finally the best way to picture Nel's form is Brad pit's armor from 'Troy' but with a large circular shield like from '300'

Ichigo's Resurreccion looks a bit like his Bankai, but with torn sleeves and armor underneath. The rest of the description should suffice.

 **Translations** -

Esmeralda de Soltera – Emerald Maiden

Lobo Solitario – Lone Wolf

Diosa de las Ondas – Goddess of Waves

La Verdadera Desesperacion – True Despair

Aturdir – To be so overwhelmed you are unable to think straight, no direct English translation.

Illuvia Alma – Soul Rain

Huelga de las Mareas – Tidal Strike

Esfera Maremoto – Tidal wave Sphere

Disparo – Shot

Tortuga – Tortoise

Bayoneta – Bayonet… did I really need to put this in here?

Niebbla de la ocultacion – Mist of concealment

Ejercito interminable – Unending army

Dogeza – Sitting right on the ground

 **Casualties thus far and person responsible-**

Arrancar Forces:

Yammy killed by Komamura

Szayel killed by Tessai

Zommari killed by Hitsugaya

Nnoitra killed by Kensei

Wonderweiss killed by Kisuke

Tousen killed by Isshin

Baraggan killed by Kurotsuchi

Charlotte killed by Yachiru

Vega killed by Yachiru

Abirama killed by Chojiro

Findorr killed by Chojiro

Nirgge killed by Omaeda

Yylfordt killed by Renji

Rudbornn killed by Nemu

Di Roy killed by Hachi

Nakeem killed by Hachi

Aaroniero killed by Renji

Dordoni killed by Chojiro

Gantenbainne killed by Mashiro

Cirucci killed by Lisa

Shawlong killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Tesra killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Edrad killed by Yachiru and Nemu

Cyan killed by Mastumoto and Nanao

Hooleer killed by Kisuke and Isshin

Shinigami forces:

Iba killed by Powoww

Love killed by Baraggan

Izuru killed by Abirama and Findorr

Omaeda killed by Yylfordt

Lisa killed by Cirucci

Hisagi killed by an Arrancar

Momo killed by Ayon

Kurotsuchi killed by Ichigo

-New-

Sasikabe killed by Stark

Ukitake killed by Stark

Rose killed by Ulquiorra

Hitsugaya killed by Ulquiorra

Komamura killed by Nelliel

Byakuya killed by Nelliel


	29. End of Illusion, End of Deceit

**Shadows of Deceit**

End of Illusion End of Deceit

November 7, 2015 marked the first time I have EVER gotten over 1k views in a day! Thank you all so much!

***If I owned Bleach, then half the B.S. powers would be removed immediately. ***

*** _SoD_ ***

'Damnit! This is not how the battle was supposed to go. With Aizen's fusion with the Hogyoku he is practically immortal at this point. Add to that the old man's defeat and my inability to place the sealing Kido into him and we have no real way of beating him now. Maybe Squad Zero will decide to finally get off their asses and intervene.' Kisuke pondered as he watched the two titans staring each other down.

With his inability to sense either of their spiritual pressures he couldn't even place a bet on the outcome of the battle, although his gut told him that Aizen would emerge victorious.

Glancing over the blond noticed Isshin struggling to stand up, desperate to help his son. He could also see Yoruichi trying to pick herself up as well. Not one to be outdone the shopkeeper summoned what remained of his strength and pushed himself up to his hands and knees with his Zanpakuto, grunting with pain as he did so.

"I would stay down if I were you, there is no reason for you to cause yourself any more harm than what has already be done." An unfamiliar voice called out from behind the three Shinigami.

Spinning his head Kisuke went wide eyed as he saw the approaching form of an Espada, a pale man with green eyes and black wings.

"I don't care who you are or what you think Arrancar." The Shiba clan head growled out in pain, "I am not going to let my son fight that monster by himself."

"You would do nothing but hinder him at this point, Ichigo has been preparing for this confrontation for some time now. So you should sit back and watch the outcome of this war." With that the Espada took a seat on a nearby pile of rubble and shifted his focus to the two figures floating above them.

*** _SoD_ ***

"Gin, I will handle this from here, there is no reason for you to risk yourself in this battle." Ichigo spoke out in a confident voice earning a nod from the silver haired man, who flashed to the ground with the other Espada.

"So confident are we Ichigo? I am impressed with the progress you have made but I think you are overestimating your abilities at this point. The last time we had a spar of any sort you were barely able to injure me, and that was when I was holding back considerably. I have only become stronger since then with the Hogyoku. You see the true purpose of the Hogyoku is not to break down the boundaries between Hollow and Shinigami as Urahara believes. Rather it is the ability to fulfill the inner desires of those around it. Thus with my mastery of it I have willed myself to become an immortal God!"

"Yeah and?" Ichigo nonchalantly called out in response.

The former rebel leader paused for a moment. Could the boy have already known about the Hogyoku's true purpose? No it was impossible. Even the mighty Urahara, whose intellect surpassed his own, could not comprehend that.

Charging forward Aizen swung his Zanpakuto at breathtaking speed, only to have his attack dodged, and counter attacked from his opponent.

Blocking the Arrancar's new blade, the man pushed it back, and followed up with another powerful slash again finding it to be blocked, this time by the Espada's other arm.

This pattern continued for a few minutes, attacking and parrying each other's blows and trying to land an attack, when the former Captain realized something, his opponent seemed to be… bored. True the boy was actively attacking and defending but his expression appeared to be one of annoyance rather than focusing on the battle at hand.

"Are you toying with me boy? I should warn you that if you try that you will find yourself missing an arm." Aizen scowled as he tried for a considerably stronger attack, this time Ichigo blocked with his entire arm, the chains swirling up it acting as a shield, and delivered a slash diagonally across the former Shinigami's torso.

Aizen went wide eyed and shot backwards, waiting for the Hogyoku to heal his wound and reassess the situation.

"If you want me to start taking this seriously I will, but I warn you that the only result will be your defeat."

"Do not be so confident Ichigo, my power has long since surpassed anything you are capable of." Again Aizen charged forward, swinging his blade down and intending to bisect the boy. Ichigo immediately parried his Zanpakuto, and then force him backwards with raw strength before kicking the rebel in the chest which sending him cascading backwards.

"Really? Because it seems as though I am capable of overpowering you." Ichigo replied in a cocky voice, earning himself another growl of anger from his opponent.

"I grow tired of this battle, child. I believe it is time to remind you of the power that I wield." Bringing up his blade the ex-Captain smirked, before calling out its release command.

"ICHIGO DON'T LOOK AT IT!" Ichigo heard his father call out. But it was too late, for more reasons than one.

"It wouldn't matter either way Isshin Shiba, Ichigo has already witnessed the release of my Zanpakuto, in fact he was the one who voluntarily allowed me to expose him to it." Aizen called out, loud enough for all to hear.

***Flashback***

"Aizen-Sama I was curious if the rumors concerning your Zanpakuto are true." Ichigo asked quietly after one of their strategy meetings had just adjourned.

"Oh, and what exactly are the rumors saying about me Ichigo?"

"That anyone who witnesses the release of your Shikai are placed under its power and can by hypnotized at any time, allowing you to control their senses at will."

"Ah yes that is true, why so curious all of a sudden if I might ask?

"I am aware that there are some who doubt my loyalty to you and to our cause. I wish to prove it by voluntarily allowing myself to be placed under your control, to signify my trust in you."

"I can assure you Ichigo that this act of loyalty is quite unnecessary, but if you insist I will gladly accept this gesture." Aizen finished, before unsheathing his Zanpakuto and releasing it before the Arrancar.

***End Flashback***

"Then we truly have lost. Ichigo was the only one who had a chance of beating Aizen since he had never witnessed his Shikai, without that there is no chance of defeating him." Urahara muttered his tone one of defeat.

As Aizen used his power to create a false image of himself, while cloaking his true presence, he mused at how anti-climactic this war had become. True the boy had shown remarkable signs of evolution and power but he had been hoping to use him against the Royal Guard before the inevitable clash. It mattered not of course, with the Hogyoku in his possession Aizen knew himself to be undefeatable even by those five all powerful Shinigami.

As he calmly strode behind the boy, who was still staring at his false image, the man raised his blade up, preparing to strike his opponent down in one blow.

Only for Ichigo to spin and block the blow, casually staring back into the hybrid's eyes.

"H-h-how?"

For the first time in his life Aizen stuttered, his mind trying desperately to catch up with this new development. It wasn't possible. Even if Ichigo knew himself to be under the illusions they were as close to perfect as possible, the Espada shouldn't be able to use ANY of his senses to determine his location.

Ichigo just let out a sigh, as if explaining the situation was becoming far too troublesome for him.

Aizen again activated his Zanpakuto, not waiting for an answer, but each time he tried a surprise attack Ichigo would parry it, looking bored. The cycle stopped when Aizen noticed something that sent a chill down his spine.

Ichigo was following him with his eyes during his last flanking movement.

"How are you able to negate my power? It is not possible, my illusions and my abilities are perfect!" Aizen shouted at the boy.

"Just like Urahara you are asking the wrong question Aizen. What you should be asking is 'how am I able to see through your Zanpakuto's power?'"

Growling at the mere child standing before him Aizen raised his hand before activating his favorite Kido.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado Number Ninety, Kurohitsugi!"

Ichigo stared back at his enemy, while the black coffin-like box formed around him, sealing him into his apparent doom.

"Your overconfidence has been the end of you Ichigo Kurosaki! With its full incantation my Kido can warp space itself!" he declared.

"Neat trick, the problem is that your opponent would need to stand still long enough for you to finish your little chant." A voice called from behind the man, who spun around shocked as he saw Ichigo standing before him, unharmed.

"Impossible! You were trapped inside when the spell finished!"

"True, but then I got bored and decided to leave."

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!? HOW DARE YOU ACT SO NONCHALANT BEFORE A LIVING GOD?" Aizen screamed.

*** _SoD_ ***

"Kisuke… how is Ichigo able to do this? How can he beat Aizen's Zanpakuto and how can he seemingly move through his Kido like that?" Yoruichi whispered to her friend, gaining Isshin's interest as well.

"To be honest, I have no freaking idea at this point Yoruichi. Whatever the hell Ichigo is doing has long since surpassed what I have even considered possible."

*** _SoD_ ***

Ichigo interrupted his opponent's tirade with a soft chuckle, which quickly escalated into a clear and honest laughter.

"What is so damn funny boy?" Aizen seethed.

"It's just that all of you supposed 'geniuses' are so damn confused by something that is so simple. Hell I have already answered you before yet you seemed to have either forgotten or chosen to ignore it. The problem is that the smarter you are the more complicated you tend to make things, thus you overlook the correct answer even when it is shoved in your face. I 'dodged' your Kido by walking, around it."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU CANNOT WALK AROUND KIDO!" the infuriated man screamed.

"Now now let's all take a deep breath and calm down Aizen. You really shouldn't get so worked up it is bad for your blood pressure."

Growling, the man ignored the Arrancar standing before him and continued on.

"So you think you have transcended me eh? You think that because you were influenced by the Hogyoku one time that you have surpassed all others? I will continue on my evolution to perfection while you remain static! Soon our positions will be switched. I will be more powerful than you and you will be the one who cannot sense my presence, while I continue to do things that surpass all thought!"

Suddenly he was interrupted again.

"Wait a second, do you honestly think that you cannot sense my presence because my spiritual pressure is greater than yours?" Ichigo asked, in a dumbfounded tone.

"Of course that is the reason you ignorant child! What else could it be?"

"Uh maybe it is just the fact that I am not _allowing_ you to sense my presence. Right now I am diverting it." The Espada replied, earning a hushed silence from Aizen, along with the three Shinigami present.

"Diverting it?" Aizen inquired, his tone going to back to its analytical mode.

"Yes, quite simply if I let my spiritual pressure flow normally it would probably kill anyone below a full power Lieutenant right now, which would be most of those alive at this point."

"What do you mean 'diverting'?"

"Well that is pretty simple. You see due to the Hogyoku's influence I have become something more than what you are able to perceive. Let me put it a different way, If I were to point at a nearby wall," Ichigo gestured behind himself, at the closest building, while speaking loud enough for all those present to hear. "You see two dimensions correct? Up and down, left and right. But you _infer_ three dimensions the third being depth. Of course it also exists in time. Now what if I were to tell you that the wall has another dimension? I can't point it out to you nor can I measure it for you. Unless you are able to perceive it then you cannot comprehend it. That is how I am able to do all of the things that I can. You perceive three dimensions along with time while I perceive _four_ dimensions, along with time."

Aizen's mind tried to comprehend this new statement, really it did, but like Kisuke and all the others listening it just sort of shut down. Instead he began remembering all of the things he had been told by the boy over the last few months.

***Flashback***

" _Ichigo? I didn't realize you had left with me, this new stealth ability is quite impressive." Aizen spoke to the relaxed boy in surprise._

" _Thank you Aizen-Sama, but I didn't leave with you. I saw something interesting and decided to watch it for a bit." Ichigo shrugged out an answer as the other Espada arrived._

 _When Ichigo's two female friends appeared in a burst of Sonido they turned to face Ichigo wide eyed._

" _Ichigo… when did you pass us? We left after everyone else and you were still there." Harribel asked in shock._

 _Ichigo gave a nod and thanked the two young Arrancar girls that came in to clear his plates away, before he vanished. But to Gin and Aizen's shock it was not Sonido, or Shunpo, he simply disappeared from sight._

 _Zommari gave a nod before spiking his energy slightly. Ichigo appeared instantly, as if he had been there the entire time._

" _You rang?" Ichigo smiled as the others stared at him wide eyed, even Aizen appeared shocked at Ichigo's arrival, once again without seemingly any energy signature from him._

 _For his part Ichigo's shocked expression quickly became one of examination. He appeared to be contemplating something as he looked down at the Kido spell holding him, as if analyzing the very structure of the ability._

" _B-but how? I didn't see you Sonido out of the way." Lillynette asked fresh tears of worry still in her eyes and she threw herself around the man in a hug._

" _Like I said, Ichigo got to me first and moved me out of the way," Stark answered with a glance over towards the boy, who had a serious look on his face for an instant before relaxing. "Past that I don't remember how he did it." Stark said, causing Aizen, who had approached to ask the same question, to raise his eyebrow in suspicion._

 _Ichigo gave a nod, and vanished from the area, again slipping past all attempts at following his movements._

" _As you may well know we monitor all Garganata activity from Las Noches, but the day you went missing there was no unauthorized uses, how exactly were you able to return them to the World of the Living without detection?"_

 _With his question all of those in attendance turned a curious gaze to the boy._

" _Same as anyone else would I suppose Aizen-Sama, I walked."_

" _Sorry I am late Aizen-Sama I had to take the long way to get to the battlefield." The boy replied in a very stoic voice while Urahara just stared wide eyed at him._

 _Just as the attack was about to reach him… Ichigo vanished. But it wasn't as if he had broken free and dodged the attack, the binding Kido was still present, although the energy chain began falling towards the ground with nothing to be attached to._

***End Flashback***

"I see you finally understand Aizen, my speed was not due to Shunpo, Sonido, or any other techniques you are aware of. I am able to move in a fifth dimension, allowing me to completely circumvent all obstacles, including Kido, that might exist in the others. Like the Garganta time flows differently in it, allowing me to appear to move instantly. If you want a more simplified version, imagine that everything you have ever perceived is on a piece of paper. Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, Garganta, and the human world are all represented by pictures on this paper. I am able to step off of it completely and move at will."

"B-but how are…" Aizen tried to interrupt, but felt he could no longer understand what was happening. How had Ichigo evolved to such a point as this?

"This also answers your question about the illusions Aizen. Since you are not able to perceive this dimension you cannot create illusions that influence it, thus no matter what you create I will always be able to see through it. Finally as for my spiritual pressure I am able to, and often need to, divert my natural spiritual energy into this dimension, since I am the only one who is able to see it this makes my energy undetectable."

*** _SoD_ ***

"Kisuke… is what Ichigo said… possible?" Isshin whispered, just loud enough for the other two Shinigami to hear him.

"I have no idea… but if it is true, then there might not be anyway of truly stopping Ichigo. By his own claim he could move between worlds at will. Even my plan to seal Aizen might be ineffective against him if he truly can move around Kido and barriers like that."

"Well at least that means I might still be the fastest." Yoruichi said, trying for a smirk but grimaced from the bruises instead.

"That would be the one thing you take out of all this Yoruichi." Isshin deadpanned before returning his gaze towards his son.

*** _SoD_ ***

"It doesn't matter how unique you have become Ichigo, the fact of the matter is that I will continue to grow stronger. I am immortal now and nothing you can do will ever change that!" Aizen roared, finding his confidence and charging his opponent once more.

As Aizen reached the boy Ichigo ducked under his blow, and spun behind him before lashing out with a sword.

That had materialized out of the very air itself.

Aizen's eyes widened again, as several more of these floating blades appeared behind Ichigo.

"Another product of the Hogyoku brat?"

"No these are part of my Resurreccion. Did you really think the only thing I would gain were a pair of gauntlets? I call them _Cuchillas Remanentes_."

As Ichigo charged forward he lashed out with the newly formed blades, immediately forcing Aizen on the defensive. They seemed to flow with Ichigo's fighting style. Rather than acting like Byakuya's Bankai they almost appeared to have independent thoughts and would move and attack in addition to Ichigo's own movements.

When he dodged under a blow they would move to cover his blind spots and lash out in retaliation.

When he would attack they struck from different angles.

When he parried they would counter.

The genius was quickly being overwhelmed by Ichigo's blows, and taking heavy damage for it in turn. Even with the Hogyoku healing each wound that appeared they were starting to drain him of his considerable spiritual reserves.

Then his opponent began throwing in his spiritual chains, and the fight became a one sided assault.

At this point Aizen couldn't even dodge or parry the attacks. Ichigo would make his own holes in the hybrid's defenses and deliver devastating a wounds.

A few minutes more of this and Aizen had been reduced to a panting bloody mess, although his wounds healed the blood still flowed out of them, covering his once pristine white body.

"Do not think this marks the end of our duel Ichigo. Soon you will see the outcome of this war, which is my inevitable victory."

At this declaration Aizen began to change once more, his sword fusing into his arm and his appearance becoming more Hollow-like. His face molted back as a new horrendous head replaced his previous one, his wings grew Hollow masks at the tips.

" **You see Ichigo? The Hogyoku has transcended me beyond Hollow and Shinigami! Truly this is power beyond measure, look upon me and despair boy!** "

"Well you certainly are uglier than you were before Aizen, I will give you that much. But I must admit that it was a good move getting rid of the butterfly wings, they were a bit too much."

" **Insolent whelp, I will crush you and then your friends who have seen fit to betray me. Then all shall fall before my grandeur. There is nothing more you can do to stop me, no petty tricks that can hold me back, and there is no longer any hope for you!** "

"Is that a fact, then how about I cut back on one of my 'petty tricks' then?" Ichigo immediately closed his eyes, as if entering a meditative state for a moment.

Before it felt like the world came crashing down upon those present.

Buildings began to shake and buckle, the ground cracked open, Kisuke even believed he saw the sky splintering under the immense power that had been unleashed.

'Is he going through another transformation!?' the Shinigami questioned, as they felt themselves smashed into the ground by a force exceeding, the Captain Generals spiritual pressure.

Aizen himself took a step back in fear of the boy standing before him. He finally understood why it was that Ichigo had to hide his spiritual pressure. If this was what he had just by passively standing then he couldn't comprehend what it would be like if the Espada were actually focusing it as a weapon.

The Segunda Etapas weren't even this powerful.

Suddenly the force stopped, and all present found themselves able to breathe properly again.

"That wasn't all of my power obviously, I had to tune it down quite a bit to avoid killing the severely injured Shinigami and Arrancar, but I think you understand what I am getting at. It's not the tricks that make me powerful Aizen, or the evolutions, or even my Hollow abilities. It is my will and the power that comes along with it that makes me a transcendent being."

" **No I shall show you what being a transcendent being truly means!** " the monstrosity declared, before charging an energy blast from one of the skulls on his wings.

As he launched the purple energy sphere towards his opponent Ichigo growled in annoyance at the recklessness of such an attack, before firing a powerful Gran Rey Cero at the projectile.

As the two blasts impacted Ichigo's quickly overpowered the one launched by his opponent and forced Aizen to once more dodge out of the way, creating a large explosion in an unoccupied portion of the battlefield.

" **IMPOSSIBLE! NO CHILD, HUMAN, SHINIGAMI, ARRANCAR, OR OTHERWISE CAN SURPASS ME! NOW I SHALL SHOW YOU WHAT DESTRUCTION TRULY MEANS!** "

Aizen quickly appeared before Ichigo, in a strange version of teleportation, before grabbing him by the throat and forming a ring around the boy with his tails, and spiritual energy as well.

" **Now watch as you and the rest of this world come to an end brat!** _**Ultrafragor!**_ "

Ichigo grimaced for a split second before calling out his reply.

" _Getsuga Remolino_ "

These were the last words that Aizen would hear, before his world was consumed by darkness and agony.

A whirlwind of black flames and energy consumed the two combatants, and then expanded outward, annihilating everything nearby in a hellish explosion. The shockwave created by the raw release of energy was enough to decimate any remaining buildings on the battlefield, and threatened to lay waste to all of those still alive. Were it not for the protective cocoons that seemed to form around them, composed of Ichigo's chains, all present would have been turned to dust.

*** _SoD_ ***

After the blast subsided, along with their protective barriers, the survivors looked on in shock at the outcome.

Little was left of the once extravagant false town that had been created by Soul Society. The skyscrapers that once seemed to flow endlessly had been completely demolished. The streets and pavement were ripped from the ground exposing the fake dirt underneath. The water that had once accumulated on the ground had been vaporized, returning to the blonde Espada who had halted her seemingly endless flow of power.

As the dust cloud cleared a single figure remained in the sky, standing tall and victorious above all others. Ichigo, still in his Resurreccion state, remained unharmed after the blast. As he floated the boy glanced around the battlefield at the raw destruction he could create, as if ensuring that everyone who had been alive before the raw apocalyptic burst remained as such.

After seeing that his countermeasures had indeed protected everyone, the teenager descended and found Aizen's devastated form lying prone on the ground.

"It is over Aizen and I grow tired of this fight and of this war. I will be turning you over to the Soul Society for them to do with you as they please. Perhaps they will sentence you to death via the Sokyoku just as you doomed Rukia to."

"Do you truly think you have won Ichigo? I told you that I am immortal. Even with your devastating technique I will regenerate and return, stronger than ever."

"I don't think you get it yet Aizen, I have been allowing this fight to continue thus far to show those from Soul Society what any future war will be like, but now it is time for the conflict to end."

"Allowing? You have been _allowing_ this fight to continue? No Ichigo it is I who have been allowing this battle to progress as far as it has, but no longer. I will end your miserable existence once and for all." Aizen declared before standing up, his wounds already regenerating and spiritual energy wrapping around his body, preparing him for yet another change.

"You see? I will continue to change and evolve each time I am wounded. Perfection is not a static state but rather the dynamic change that allows one to constantly become stronger. THUS I AM PERFECTION INCARNATE AND NOW YOU WILL WITNESS THE NEXT STEP IN MY…"

Suddenly Aizen was interrupted, as Ichigo shoved his fist into the man's chest, and ripped it back out, the Hogyoku now in his hand.

Aizen could only watch, in shock and horror, as the power once granted to him began to fade away. The Hogyoku no longer responding to his mental commands for an unknown reason.

"But how? I have subjugated the Hogyoku to my will, mastering it to a degree that even Kisuke Urahara could not." Aizen asked, almost in a pleading tone.

"So much death has been caused over something so small, so many lives ruined because of this." Ichigo muttered to himself.

"I-Ichigo you did it!" Urahara loudly proclaimed, as he watched Aizen's form begin to revert back to his normal Shinigami self. "Now that you have retrieved the Hogyoku we can look into a way to destroy it once and for all. I must ask though, how did you know the true power of it?"

"Simple, it told me during our interaction. As far as destroying the object, why didn't you just say so?"

With that Ichigo tightened his grip, crushing the small orb into dust as easily as if it were made of glass.

*** _SoD_ ***

Silence once again engulfed the battlefield as all those present stared at the Cero Espada, who merely looked back at them with a puzzled face.

"B-B-But…" Aizen tried, but couldn't find the words for what had just occurred. The most powerful object in creation had just been destroyed, seemingly without effort, by a teenager.

"H-H-How?" Urahara found himself just as speechless as his arch nemesis.

"But I thought that the Hogyoku was indestructible. You told me that you tried everything from Kido to raw force to even damage it Urahara!" Isshin shouted, thinking that his friend had overlooked something or had just lied about not actively trying as hard as he claimed.

"I DID! That isn't possible, the Hogyoku is a creation that transcends all reason, and it cannot just be broken!"

"Apparently it can, since you know… I just did." Ichigo remarked, a bored expression on his face.

"BUT HOW!?" the genius shopkeeper was near begging for an answer now.

Suddenly Ichigo turned towards him, with an expression of the utmost intensity.

"You want to know?"

"Of course!"

"Are you sure?"

"YES, PLEASE ICHIGO I NEED TO KNOW!"

"Think carefully about your request Urahara, for the knowledge that I hold can create or destroy the very fabric with which you base your reality on. Kingdoms could fall or be built from nothingness with just the smallest understanding of which I speak. Worlds can be shattered or repaired. Your entire existence could very well come to a screeching halt once I utter these words. So I will warn you only one more time, search your soul for if there is any doubt in it then do not question the knowledge which escapes even the Gods themselves. Are certain of your mental abilities? Because anyone less than a pure genius will most likely cease to be with the truth I carry."

The blond man gulped, and glanced at his two closest friends, who nodded hesitantly at the unspoken question.

"Yes Ichigo, I am sure. I must know."

"Very well, once I took the Hogyoku from Aizen, once it was in my hand…."

All parties, including Aizen and even Ichimaru leaned forward, as if it would help them understand what would be spoken next.

"I squeezed and it broke."

Dead silence

Suddenly Ichigo's face began to falter, and a grin passed over his features. A moment later he broke down in hysterical laughter, actually falling to the ground as he did so.

The rest of those present just stared at him, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"OH GOD YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACES HAHAHAHHAHA! THAT WAS PRICELESS, WHY DIDN'T I VIDEO TAPE IT!?"

"But… you… and…. it… and I…. and you… what?" Kisuke tried forming an actual sentence, he really did, but his brain had stopped working by this point in the encounter.

"Oh but seriously that was freaking hilarious. Good times, good times."

"Uh Ichigo, do you think you could maybe give them a serious explanation? I think Kisuke is about to have a brain aneurism." Yoruichi asked, trying to be as polite as possible to the, what she now considered near godlike, being in front of her.

"Aww your no fun, fine. The question you should have asked was 'How were you able to destroy the Hogyoku when we couldn't' to which I ask a question to Aizen. You say that the Hogyoku grants the desires of those who control it. When you used it on me whose desires did you think it fulfilled?"

"My own of course child, no one but I could have…"

"Aaaaaand there's your problem. You started with incorrect information, which is why every guess you have made so far has been wrong. You see it fulfilled several desires that day. You wanted a weapon, and someone who could understand your own power, so it gave you the ultimate warrior, me. Stark had to have someone who could fill the loneliness in him, so it gave him a brother. Harribel desperately needed someone who would break the endless cycle of sacrifice in her life, so it gave her a person strong enough to end the conflicts. Ulquiorra desired an answer to the emptiness filling his heart, it gave him a friend who could explain what it was he lacked. Nel begged for a relationship of devotion which would surpass anything she had felt before, so it gave her a lover. I craved the power to protect those closest to me, to ensure that I never failed again, it granted me the ability to do so. Finally, the Hogyoku itself required someone who could truly understand it. Someone who could stand on its level that would not see it as a weapon to be subjugated like you did, or a tool to be studied like Urahara, and it found me." Ichigo explained, looking towards his friends with fondness.

"That is the reason I was the only one who could ever destroy it. I am the only one who sees it for what it truly is, a living breathing entity, like a Zanpakuto or an inner Hollow. It allowed me to break its outer shell so that it could fuse with me, and end its loneliness forever." The Espada finished, earning shocked expressions from all those save the Espada, who simply returned the warm stare that their friend sent towards them.

"So where is the Hogyoku now?" A voice called out from nearby.

Turning, the warriors present noticed the form of the Yamamoto slowly walking into the area. His cane being the only thing allowing him to move forward at this point.

"As I explained, we have fused together. It is a part of me just like your Zanpakuto spirit is a part of you." The Arrancar answered.

"Interesting, and what of Aizen Sosuke?"

"Aizen is over there on the ground, he looks a bit worn out though. As much as I would enjoy finishing the job I am pretty tired of all the death lately, so I will just leave him for you and Soul Society to judge." Ichigo answered with a shrug.

"And what do you plan to do now?"

"Oh that's pretty simple old man, I intend to end this war once and for all, and I want to negotiate a peace treaty with you."

After his declaration other Shinigami and Arrancar began to slowly make their way to the area. Most were limping heavily or relying on the support from the few who were less injured.

"What makes you think that we will trust any kind of treaty that you purpose Ichigo Kurosaki? After all you were directly involved with the murder of at least one Captain, and indirectly with several more."

Nemu turned her gaze toward the boy with this statement, which he noticed immediately and nodded in her direction and thus acknowledging her request.

"Well that is pretty simple, currently only one of your Captains is even able to stand by herself. Meanwhile I am feeling pretty darn good, along with my four Espada companions. So if you don't accept I suppose I could just slaughter all of you and go on to lay waste to the Seireitei." The Espada replied, almost in an analytical term.

"Now now Ichigo, I am sure there is no call for such… extreme measures." Urahara called out, trying to diffuse the potentially hostile situation, which his side would inevitably lose.

"Do not believe you have us beaten and can just make whatever demands you wish child. Even with your defeat of Aizen you are still a criminal. The only difference is that all of your forces have been worn out, while we still have at least one full powered Captain along with the Royal Guard.

For a moment Ichigo glanced upwards, his eyes narrowing to a glare, before returning to rest it on the old man in front of him.

"I suppose you are correct, there is something I need to take care of though if you will all excuse me. Also I would deeply appreciate it if there was no fighting while I was gone." The Arrancar called out before facing the silver haired 'traitor'. "Gin if you would be so kind as to keep them in line, I would deeply appreciate it."

"Of course Ichigo" Gin replied with a mock salute, before the boy vanished from sight.

"Now where did he run off to now…" Nel wondered with a sigh, glancing over she saw her two Fraccion approaching, helping support Grimmjow, who had regained consciousness.

"Wow Grimmjow, you seem to have seen better days."

"Shove it, I was doing just fine. I had just about crawled out of the crater I was in before the turbulence, then these two nitwits show up and start dragging me around by my ankles."

"WE WERE SAVING YOUR LIFE! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SWALLOWED BY THE GREAT SAND MONSTER OF HUECO MUNDO!" Pesche cried out, with exaggerated tears flowing down his face.

"WE AREN'T IN HUECO MUNDO YOU MORON!"

"THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!"

*** _SoD_ ***

"Don't you think we should do something Shutara-San? I know we are supposed to protect the Soul King but if the entire Gotei 13 is destroyed then…"

"We have our orders Hikifune-San and we are expected to carry them out. Hyosube-San knows what he is doing after all."

"Exactly! Though I must say I am feeling a bit eager to kick some Arrancar ass after seeing those wannabes getting thrown around like that."

"Yo yo yo yo yo, don't be so down on their skills Kirinji-kun. That boy not only talks the talk but he walks the walk know what I'm sayin?"

"How the hell do you know that? We are barely getting accurate reports up here and they are still taking like twenty minutes to reach us. For all we know Aizen already killed the brat and…"

"NONSENSE! That boy is quite spectacular and I am positive that he will be able to defeat that monster."

"Good for you Hyosube, but the question remains. What is he going to do if he _does_ win? He might start attacking our side again for whatever stupid reason he had to betray us in the first place."

"I wouldn't say that any of my _reasons_ were stupid." A voice called out, immediately putting all five members of Squad Zero on the defensive. "Nice place you got here. I see at least five floating cities with… five whole people total? Wow, good thing that there are people starving and suffering down in the Soul Society."

Ichigo calmly walked towards the five, while taking in the sights around him.

"What the hell? How did you get up here and what the fuck do you think you are doing, walking around the Royal Realm like you own the place?"

"Well I was reminded that you five are technically still allied with the Court Guard, and might even choose to get off your lazy asses at some point. So I figured I would come up and make sure that it doesn't happen. Plus, if you work directly for the Soul King then it would probably be easier to negotiate with you five than with the half dead old man down there."

"Normally I would agree with you Ichigo-kun, but sadly I must inform you of your folly. You have entered the lion's den boy, and now we will be forced to remove the threat that you pose." The monk intoned, causing the others to draw their weapons.

"That a fact huh? Well I'll tell you what, how about we ask your boss about this. Race yeah!"

With that the Arrancar instantly vanished, earning shocked looks before they took off towards the boy's implied destination.

Arriving a minute later the Royal Guard was shocked to find that their target had easily beaten them, and had already begun a conversation with their king.

"So here's the deal old man. I figure that this can go down one of two ways. Option one is that we decide on a nice peaceful treaty and prevent any further violence. You stay on your side I stay on mine so to speak. Option number two is that you have your forces attack me and my friends, and we play the fun game called 'how many Cero blasts can your floating city take before it drops from the sky and onto the Seireitei like a sack of bricks'."

The man seated before him gazed in amusement at the 'child' before him that was currently making demands.

"A thousand apologies your highness, we were just about to remove the boy before…" The seamstress was interrupted with a dismissing wave of the man.

"No need, I doubt there is anything any of you would be able to do to Ichigo in his current state anyway. He is already far more powerful than you realize and now that he has fused with the Hogyoku he is immune to most of our abilities. I must say though that this is quite the turn of events. You have given me something that I have not had in quite some time Ichigo, uncertainty. Even I was not able to foresee this outcome entirely."

Squad Zero looked on in shock as their king had just admitted that not only were they virtually powerless to stop the Arrancar in front of them, but that he himself was not able to perceive this future.

"So I will assume you choose 'Option one' then."

"Indeed, I will listen, with great interest, to your proposed treaty."

*** _SoD_ ***

The situation in the false town had stabilized after Ichigo's departure. The Arrancar had grouped together to recover, and the Espada had reverted to their original forms, while the Shinigami were busy healing the rest of their wounded.

Aizen had been placed under heavy Kido restraints by a recovering Urahara and Unohana. Although with his body, and spiritual energy, exhausted and lacking his Zanpakuto he wasn't much of a threat at the time.

Suddenly Ichigo appeared back in the middle of the battlefield, slowly making his way towards the remains of the Captain Corp.

"Ah Ichigo your back from…." Urahara greeted jovially, while drawing out his statement to hint at receiving an answer.

"Oh nowhere that important, I just took a short walk around the Royal Palace. I gotta say those five living in floating cities is a bit extreme with the conditions the Rukongai is in don't you think? Then I went to have a chat with the Soul King about a few things."

Again the silence permeating the area was deafening.

"You traveled to the Royal Palace?" Yoruichi whispered out, a bit stunned that he had done so, and made it sound casual.

"Well yeah, I told you already didn't I? After my interaction with the Hogyoku I can travel through another dimension, walking around any barriers that might exist in this one. You can't defend against what you cannot perceive."

"If you could have done that at the start then why did you not simply kill the Soul King! Why do you allow that thing to exist!" Aizen began shouting, earning a glare from those present.

"Because without him the world falls apart." Came the Arrancar's reply.

"That simply makes you a greater threat than we initially thought Ichigo Kurosaki, as much as I hate to say this you must be condemned to death." Yamamoto called out, earning a fierce glare from the boy's father and his two fellow outcasts, along with all of the Arrancar.

"Actually I went to negotiate the terms of our ceasefire. Surprisingly enough the Soul King was a really understanding and nice guy. It took a bit of negotiating but we finally came to an agreement. The war has officially ended and all hostilities between forces are over. That said the more specifics are as such. We will allow you to continue to operate in the Soul Society and Human World, despite how much you have managed to fuck that up, while you will not set foot in Hueco Mundo without our permission. Hollows in the human world are yours to deal with and we will allow you to purify those that exist in the Forest of Hueco Mundo to maintain balance, as long as you inform us first and have an escort with you. All Gillian class Menos and above will be handled by us first. If we deem it necessary to eliminate them to maintain the balance of the worlds, or peace, we will inform you so that they can be purified. Aizen Sosuke will released to you to do with as you will but all the Visoreds and outcasts are to be immediately pardoned. Gin Ichimaru is also to be pardoned, if you do not accept this he will be offered protection and citizenship in Las Noches that allows him to return at any time should he feel the need to do so."

"Outrageous! A Hollow cannot make such demands from us!" Sui-Feng cried out in rage, earning a glare from her former teacher.

"She is right Ichigo Kurosaki, with the Royal Guard still at full power, the recovery of some of the Gotei 13, we easily overpower your forces. There is no reason for us to agree to your terms." Yamamoto remarked.

"Your commanding officers said the same thing, so I will tell you what I told them. If this is the case I will be forced to utterly annihilate all Shinigami within a twenty-mile radius of myself. I can then go on to destroy the entire Seireitei, the Royal Palace, the Soul King, and every other Shinigami within a day or so. With my abilities you won't be able to stop me. Sure you might eventually destroy the remaining Arrancar, but there would only be a handful of living Shinigami left. Your precious balance will fall apart, and your remaining moments will be spent watching your world come crashing down. After all I turned my back on my remaining family the first time you killed my friends, if you do so again I would probably snap completely and tear what's left of you to pieces." Ichigo threatened in an almost nonchalant way.

That gave the Captains pause.

Glancing over to Urahara the Captain Commander raised a question.

"Kisuke Urahara, would there be anything you could do, or create, that would be able to stop him should this occur?"

"My my, putting so much pressure on a simple shopkeeper such as myself." The man replied, flipping out his signature fan with a grin, and earning several eye twitches from the Shinigami.

"Even if we assume that Ichigo would let me live, which is doubtful, I wouldn't betray him again. Even if I chose to I have no real way of stopping his movement into the fourth dimension. He could take the idea of Guerilla warfare to levels unheard of. Add to that what we _have_ seen of his power and I have very little doubt that he could make good on his threats."

"I see, very well then since the Central 46 was never rebuilt, and the Soul King has decided to accept your terms, then I accept them as well on behalf of the remaining Court Guard."

"Are you sure about this old man? After all the lives they have taken?" Shunsui reminded his leader.

"I have not forgotten, but we have taken more of their lives than they have of ours. If they are willing to look past that towards the future, then why can't we?"

"Good, then until some other time I bid you all farewell." Turning around Ichigo gave a nod to Ulquiorra who immediately created a Garganta which the Arrancar begin disappearing into.

The Espada had felt her approach before he even heard her. The daughter and lieutenant of the Captain he had killed.

"I assume you are here to confront me about your Captain's death?"

"Yes, he was my father as well."

"I see. I won't make excuses or lie to you. I did kill him and I really do not feel bad about doing so. Your father was a monster who should never have been allowed to join the Gotei 13, much less become a Captain. He experimented on and tortured my friends until their deaths. I understand though that you want revenge for him."

"I do, you took the only person I had in my life away from me."

"So you know what it feels like to lose someone important to you. This entire situation came about because of that. Tell you what, go home and rest. After you have recovered, and if you still want to face me, then I will be more than happy to fight you. What I do not want is to restart this bloody incident over something personal like this."

"Accepted, how will I make contact with you?"

"For now just make contact with Kisuke Urahara, I am sure he will find a way to reach me if need be."

The teenager turned to leave but was called back suddenly.

"Ichigo wait"

Stopping Ichigo gave Stark, who was the last of the Espada to depart, a nod to continue, before closing their side of the Garganta. Turning around the Arrancar spotted the approaching forms of the three outcasts.

"Son I know a lot of things have transpired, and I know that I have lost your trust but… I am sorry for everything that has happened both today and throughout your life."

Kisuke bowed down onto the dirt before uttering his apology, while Yoruichi could only do so while staring at the same ground.

"Look I know that we have had some… issues in the past, and despite the fact that all three of you are almost as responsible for my friends' deaths as that psychopath was, you aren't completely at fault. So while I certainly don't want to have a friendly relationship with any of you right now, I am not going to just murder you three either. I will give you all a chance to redeem yourselves, but it is going to take a long time. For now just go back to your lives, I need some time to sort things out not only in Hueco Mundo but also in my personal life. Oh and make sure you talk to Ryuken Ishida, I have already done so but he deserves to hear it from you three as well." The former substitute replied with a sigh.

"Just so you know Ichigo, no matter what happens I will always consider you my son. If you ever need any kind of help in any way I will do everything I can to aid you."

"Same with us Ichigo, you will always have a safe haven at the shop should you need it along with the mind of a genius and the speed of a fierce kitty." Kisuke added the end with a grin, earning him a punch to the head from Yoruichi.

"Yeah I know… and should you ever need help, all of you have a safe haven in Hueco Mundo. That includes the Visoreds as well" With that Ichigo vanished, returning to Hueco Mundo via paths that only he could walk.

*** _SoD_ ***

Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, and Isshin returned to the man's shop after two days of helping to heal the wounded and repair the damages done.

All four were exhausted physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

None of them had completely recovered from everything that had been revealed during the war.

"Isshin, do you want to stay here for now? I have plenty of extra rooms and I would rather you not be alone after all that." Kisuke asked in a serious tone.

"Yeah I guess so, I need to go talk to Ryuken first though. After everything that has happened I owe him at least that much. Plus I want to find out what he has been keeping from me as well."

Nodding in agreement Tessai went to find Ururu and Jinta, while Isshin departed and Yoruichi went for a nap.

Kisuke, on the other hand, journeyed to his personal office. After taking a seat the blond removed his hat and rubbed his eyes, letting himself relax in a rare moment of weakness and weariness.

He had considered working on a way to revert Ichigo back to being a Shinigami or human again. But now that he was fused with the Hogyoku on an entirely different level there was not much he could theorize that would work.

"You look exhausted." A voice called out.

Immediately the shopkeeper jumped from his seat, Shikai unleashed and ready for an attack. To his amazement the very same boy he had just been thinking about emerged from a dark corner of the room.

"Kisuke Urahara, we need to talk."

***A/N***

Quite an eventful chapter! I hope no one feels that I rushed it, I sort of do but I am happy with how it turned out regardless.

 **For those of you who read my story the first time around, you should notice that this is the second chapter to feature major changes. Simply put this is due to the overall disappointment that many, even myself to a degree, found in this part.**

 **Squad Zero was rushed, the Soul King was rushed, the treaty was rushed, and it just felt a bit half assed. Hopefully my changes have improved this significantly and made things far clearer than they were before.**

I hope no one is upset over Aizen's defeat, or Squad Zero's lack of action.

Either way lots of secrets revealed this chapter, I hope everyone is suffering from the mental breakdowns that the characters suffered after hearing all of my wonderful plans and explanations for things. As a note, I did NOT change anything in the previous chapters concerning the flashbacks. Ichigo's powers have always been planned this way from around chapter 2 or 3 so there was no retconning going on.

I had originally intended for Ichigo to kill Aizen in this chapter, but after all the other casualties I figured he wouldn't feel up to just killing the man.

 **Translations-**

Cuchillas Remanentes – Remnant blades

Getsuga Remolino – Getsuga Maelstrom

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter, and the last part of the "Winter War" arc. Fear not for the story shall continue! Although we are quickly reaching the end of the story… which makes me sad.


	30. Aftermath

**Shadows of Deceit**

Aftermath

Thanks to everyone who has read, commented, or favorited my first story.

***Nope no ownership at all, not of anything Bleach related. ***

 _***SoD***_

Yoruichi was a bit concerned.

Kisuke had been locked away in his lab on and off for several months now. Even when he had come out it would be to eat, and then go back to working on… whatever it was he had become obsessed with.

Isshin had been staying with them since the battle had ended, and although he was starting to look better she was still worried about him being by himself.

The Visored had broken all contact with them, not that the former Captain could blame the group of exiles.

The most startling incident had to have been when Sui-Feng had visited a week after the end of conflict.

The poor woman had broken down as soon as they were alone, crying into the dark skinned woman's chest. Apparently she had some unresolved issues after her abandonment when Yoruichi had been exiled and had never been able to get over it. When the battle had finally ended her confidence in the system of justice that she had given her life to protect had been shaken with all that had been revealed. All of the betrayals, and all of the atrocities that had been committed. Add to that the death of her Lieutenant and the stress had finally caught up to her.

Yoruichi had immediately offered the distraught girl a room, which she hesitantly accepted. The two women had spent the next few weeks together just catching up and getting back to being comfortable around each other.

It was after the second week that Yoruichi had been told another reason behind Sui-Feng's visit. She had wanted to speak with the father of her opponent who she had faced in the Ryoka invasion.

Initially Yoruichi had been against the idea completely, she heard how Ryuken had reacted when Isshin had visited him, and it hadn't been pleasant.

After two days of the girl's near begging Isshin had finally stepped in and shown his support for the idea.

"They both need closure, and the only way either way is going to get it is with this confrontation." The man had argued, much to the former Onmitsukido's annoyance.

Another day of pestering and the woman had relented, taking her former pupil to the hospital, where the Quincy practically lived at this point.

 _***SoD***_

As they arrived Yoruichi quickly located their target, and made an unseen gesture to the exhausted director.

Receiving a glare in response the two women followed as the man walked them to his office.

"Why are you here Shihoin, and who is your friend?"

"I am here because of her, and because you two need to talk" giving a slight gesture the dark skinned woman stepped back allowing Sui-Feng to walk forward, her body language being timid and almost fearful of the man in front of them.

"Ryuken-Sama my name is Sui-Feng. I was your son's opponent during the attempted rescue of Rukia Kuchki. I wanted to apologize to you for not only harming him, but failing in my job as a Captain. I allowed that monster to take your son and commit the atrocities which Isshin most likely told you about."

"He did not tell me anything I did not already know. Ichigo Kurosaki has already explained to me what happened both during the invasion and afterwards when he recovered my son's body and returned it to me for burial. It is my understanding that he also buried the rest of his friends, along with informing their families as well." Ryuken replied, "Something that both you and Kisuke Urahara failed to do." This time he directed his gaze, and anger, toward the woman who had stepped back into the corner of the room.

She immediately flinched in response.

"You will have to forgive me if I tell you both to get out of my office and go to hell. The murder of children happens to be something that upsets me." The Quincy responded with a growl before motioning toward the door.

Yoruichi immediately moved to leave, but Sui-Feng made no motion what so ever.

"I understand that you probably hate me right now and you have every right to be. I would like to tell you though that your son fought heroically to rescue his friend. Also the bastard who experimented on him met his end during the battle by the hand of the Hollow who…"

"Arrancar"

"What?"

"He is not a Hollow he is an Arrancar, there is a difference. Considering the fact that his mother was killed by a Hollow I am sure that he would appreciate it if you used the correct term."

"I see, my apologies. Ichigo killed the former Captain who mutilated your son and his friends. I wasn't sure if Isshin Shiba had informed you of this or not."

"He did but I appreciate the gesture none the less."

The Captain turned to leave with her friend before Ryuken called out to her.

"Captain Sui-Feng, it appears that we both have some unresolved issues concerning my son's death. Perhaps the best way for us to move past this situation would be to settle an age old question once and for all?"

"What would that be?"

"Who would win in a fight? A Shinigami or a Quincy."

Yoruichi got a very cat-like grin on her face.

 _***SoD***_

For the first time in his life, that he could remember, Stark was bored. Normally he could just sleep his boredom away but now he just wanted something to do.

Ichigo was busy with trying to take care of anything and everything. When he wasn't journeying down to the Forest of Menos to find more potential Arrancar recruits the boy was busy maintaining Las Noches, communicating with the Seireitei, and whatever he was busy taking care of when he would vanish for hours at a time.

It was taking its toll on all of the remaining Espada.

To try and help out the remaining members had taken up various tasks to try and help out where they could.

Ulquiorra found himself more than equipped to hunt for additional Menos with his pinpoint senses.

Despite their battles the two female Arrancar easily managed the task of communicating with the Soul Society and helping to maintain, and train, new recruits.

Stark had been placed in charge of Las Noches whenever Ichigo was gone, which turned out to be quite often. At first he had been hesitant to accept such a position, never really enjoying the leadership role, but after seeing all the jobs his brother had taken on the Primera was more than happy to alleviate any stress that he could for the younger boy.

All in all they were making good progress in all of the tasks that they had been forced to deal with. The problem was that they were all very unhappy.

Neither Harribel nor Nelliel had much time to spend with their lover, which was putting on strain on their new relationship. The few times Ichigo was in the fortress he was either trying to sort through new recruits, going through portions of Szayel's lab, or communicating with the various factions that they were having to deal with, both Hollow and Shinigami alike.

The two women were busy just as often, albeit they managed to find time to sleep, which was something that Stark doubted his new leader ever did.

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were gone for days at a time during their voyages into the Forest of Menos. There they were either recruiting or dealing with the civil wars that were threatening to engulf the region after Aizen's defeat.

Stark was trying to help out anywhere he could, which was why his current situation was puzzling. He had been helping the others almost nonstop since the end of the conflict and now that he had some free time… he could only describe himself as 'restless'.

The situation had to change, before one of them became too stressed out and crashed from it, which could be extremely hazardous considering what they could do with their powers.

Finally Stark stood and began to wander through the now empty halls of the fortress. Sure they had begun gathering new Arrancar, but the process was slow. Ichigo did not want to transform just any Hollow. He had, after all, seen the consequences of such practices. Thus there was a large process involved to weed out any of the potentially risky recruits.

After a few minutes the man stumbled upon the two Female Espada, sitting down in the former communal dining area and eating in silence.

Without asking Stark strode in and joined them at the table, glancing between the two women.

"So Harribel and Nelliel, how are you two doing? We haven't had much time to talk lately."

The blonde grunted in response, while the other continued playing with her food.

"It is not so good right now Stark. The situation has been difficult and dealing with the Shinigami, since many of them simply glare at us in hatred during our meetings, is very nerve racking." The green haired beauty finally spoke up.

"Who would those be Nelliel?" the shortest member of the group asked, as he walked into the room, having returned from another mission to the forest.

"No one of importance Ulquiorra, it is just hard with all of the hatred between our two forces." Harribel finally spoke up, receiving a nod from the pale man as he took a seat at the table.

"I miss Ichigo." Nel whispered out.

"We all do Nelliel. I know it has been hard lately, but he is not ignoring us intentionally. With Aizen defeated he has been forced to take on a lot of responsibilities. Some of them we cannot help with as much as we want to." The former laziest Espada replied, a tone of sadness betraying his own feelings toward the circumstances.

"I know, but it would be nice to see him for more than mission updates. I miss holding him…"

"We both do Nelliel, but right now Ichigo is needed elsewhere. Once this transition has been completed he will have more free time. But his priority is to his new role as Lord of Las Noches." Harribel reminded her friend.

Suddenly Ichigo appeared in the room, looking exhausted and stressed beyond what any teenager should have to go through. He quickly glanced through the prepared food items and took a few before hastily eating them.

"Hey Ichigo long time no see buddy. Would you like to sit down and join us for a meal?" Stark called out, trying to coax their friend to slow down a bit.

"Can't sorry… talks of uprising in Forest… Soul Society wants envoy clearance… Urahara…"

"Can wait for ten minutes, please sit down we haven't seen you for more than official meetings since this entire affair ended." Ulquiorra reminded him.

Stopping, Ichigo looked up and saw the concerned expressions in the Arrancar's facial features. Gulping down what was in his mouth he gave a small nod and sat down at the table with his friends.

"Right sorry, I suppose I have been getting caught up in too much lately. So uh how are all of the Fraccion doing?"

"Lillynette has recovered nicely, and has found a new passion besides training and bothering me. She has been 'testing' the new recruits." Stark replied with a snicker which allowed Ichigo the first smile he had given since assuming his new responsibilities.

"Mila and Apacci have taken to sorting through the various items of the former Espada and Fraccion. I was initially hesitant to allow it but I think it makes them feel closer to Cyan since her passing. I will admit I have never seen them get along as well as they do now though." The Tres Espada remarked.

"That's good, I left that task open since I knew it would be a difficult thing for any of us to do." The Hogyoku fused Arrancar replied.

"My two Fraccion are… still themselves thankfully… and unfortunately. Luckily I managed to keep them occupied with sorting through Szayel's lab when we are all occupied."

"Are you sure that is the best idea Nel? Szayel was working on some scary stuff and I wouldn't want them to get hurt, or blow up Las Noches by accident." Her lover replied in a concerned tone.

"Oh don't worry, they spend most of the time arguing with each other anyway, besides I told them that they were not allowed to touch anything until they went through the computer system and found out exactly what it did first."

Nodding in acceptance the boy went back to slowly eating, while enjoying the small talk that continued at the table, something he had truly missed for the past month or so.

"So Ichigo, when are you going to slow down a bit with all of these jobs you keep giving yourself? I know a certain pair of Arrancar who wouldn't mind spending a bit more _quality_ time with you." Stark emphasized the last part with a not so subtle wink.

"Aww are you and Ulquiorra missing me already Stark-Chan? I know I have been gone a lot lately but rest assured I am trying to make time for you." The Espada leader replied with a tone that sounded like he was speaking to a child.

"Speak for yourself Stark, though I do enjoy his company I believe it was you who spent the night in his room a day or two ago to be, how did you put it, 'near his scent'?" the palest Arrancar retorted with a hint of sarcasm and teasing.

"LIES AND HERESY!" The Primera shouted at his friend, while Nel giggled and Harribel rolled her eyes.

"I will say this though, I wouldn't mind if you spent more nights here Ichigo, even if you didn't sleep during them." Harribel spoke out in a neutral manner, as if she wasn't implying what everyone knew she was.

"Ooooo looking for another round of exhaustion are we Harribel? I do have a serious question for you two ladies though. If you were to both tag team Ichigo do you think you could outlast his stamina?" Stark asked with a broad grin.

"Hmm hard to say, Ichigo does have a monstrous amount of vigor after all. Perhaps we can test this theory out tonight?" Nel replied, maintaining a completely serious tone and facial expression.

A loud thump was heard as Stark's head hit the table, passing out from blood loss of the imagined images, Ichigo had turned bright red at the thoughts rushing through his mind. Even Ulquiorra appeared to have a faint blush adorning his skin.

Due to her clothing no one noticed the grin that the dark skinned Espada had on her face at the suggestion.

 _***SoD***_

After the meal Ichigo informed them that he had more business to attend to elsewhere, and vanished once more.

Ulquiorra went off to make sure that Grimmjow and Lillynette were not torturing the potential recruits.

Stark finally woke up and managed to limp off to recover from the event.

The two female Espada had shared a nod and left to find a more private location to continue their discussion though.

"So do you think he will agree to this?" Nelliel asked her friend, after ensuring that they were alone.

"He's a guy… so yes."

"Hey Ichigo isn't JUST a guy he is sweet, and caring, and sensitive and…"

"Yes I know I am with him too remember? But this is going to be a bit awkward if he does. I mean how exactly do we go about doing this, with both of us in the room."

"Well…" Nel trailed off before a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, causing a raised eyebrow from her blonde companion.

"Well what?"

"Maybe we should, you know, see how we react to each other. Just to make sure there aren't any problems later?"

"Uh you mean…"

"Not the 'throw me down and ravish me' kind of test but maybe share a kiss and see… well you know…"

"Oh uh… yeah I guess so."

The two beautiful women slowly stepped closer to each other, gazing into each other's eyes as Harribel unzipped her collar and hesitantly put her arms around Nelliel's waist.

The green haired woman responded by wrapping her arms around the other woman's back, resting them gently, if a bit shyly, and bringing the two closer together, their bodies almost touching.

After a moment of hesitation both Espada leaned forward, their eyes closing, as their lips touched.

It was then that Stark, with his fantastic sense of timing, walked into the doorway, and was immediately shot down the hallway with a geyser of blood spraying from his nose at the sight.

After a second or two the Arrancar broke the kiss and both took a step back, blushing as they glanced at each other.

"So uh… how was it for you?" Nelliel asked shyly.

"Uhm it was… different? I mean it wasn't bad or anything, you have really soft lips and all but it wasn't…"

"It wasn't Ichigo."

"Yeah…"

"I agree, but at least we got this sorted out though right?" the emerald haired woman inquired, receiving a nod from her friend.

"I think this means any 'future group activities' will be okay."

Nelliel grinned in a very Yoruichi-like fashion at her companion's statement.

 _***SoD***_

"Well it seems that you two have finally run out of steam." Yoruichi called out, observing the absolutely devastated training ground that lied beneath Urahara's shop.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME YORUICHI-CHAN!? WHYYYYYYYYYY?" the shopkeeper cried out as he gazed at the devastation that he would undoubtedly need to repair.

"Because this is your punishment for not telling anyone what you are working on." The dark skinned woman replied in a neutral tone.

In the middle of the training area's rubble stood Ryuken Ishida and Sui-Feng, panting with numerous cuts, bruises, and burns lining their bodies.

"Well I think that we have sorted out a few things…" Ryuken muttered out to his opponent, gasping for breath the entire time.

"Agreed, I hope that you can find a way to forgive me one day." The woman replied, also gasping for breath before she fell back onto the ground in a sitting position.

The Quincy nodded before a thought crossed his mind. "Tell me, what are you planning on doing now?"

"Currently I am on personal leave, but I don't know if I will ever be able to return to that place. My mentor and lieutenant are gone, my trust in that entire system has been shattered, and I don't know if I will ever recover enough to lead the Onmitsukido again."

"You know that they won't let you just retire right Sui-Feng?" Isshin called out, as he made his way towards the two.

"I know, no one just quits the Gotei 13. I thought about following Yoruichi-Sama's example and becoming an outcast though."

"Awwww is my little bee going to follow me around and stay at my side again?" the former Captain cooed out in a somewhat seductive tone, causing the poor girl to blush.

"You shouldn't tease her so much Shihoin. I doubt you will ever find someone as loyal as she is." The silver haired man suddenly proclaimed as he looked at the Shinigami with respect.

"Maybe, but I am just trying to get her to loosen up a bit. I think that if more Captains had done this we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

"She's right, what do you think Kisuke?" The Shiba head chimed in, before turning to his blond friend, who was busy pouting on the ground.

"Stupid Quincy and stupid Captains destroying my stupid underground training hall which I stupidly built for stupid training… stupid neko…" the man muttered to himself.

 _***SoD***_

Shinji, Hiyori, Hachi, Mashiro, and Kensei had been pardoned of all crimes that they had once been exiled for, and offered their previous positions in the Seireitei.

After everything that had happened though the unanimous response was for the Gotei 13 to "go fuck yourselves".

The remaining Visoreds departed back to Karakura town, where Kisuke also apologized for everything that had befallen them.

Shinji just waved him off, "It's not your fault Kisuke, and you weren't the one who made us Visoreds, tracked, our weaknesses, or killed our kind. We are done with all future involvement concerning the Arrancar or Soul Society. The only contact any of us are planning is that Hiyori mentioned interest in having a 'play date' with that little green haired Arrancar she fought."

"Well should that ever come to pass just let me know and I will pass it on to Ichigo, from what I have heard Lillynette has also be interested in the same. Do you plan on staying in Karakura town?"

"No idea Urahara. If we do it will be in a different spot, and under much heavier barriers, I don't trust anything those pricks do anymore."

With that the Visoreds departed.

 _***SoD***_

After another long and stressful day Ichigo returned to Las Noches. Intent on getting at least some sleep. He had been running on less than three hours a night for several weeks now and it was certainly starting to show. He was distancing himself from his friends again, getting emotional with those he was trying to work with, and was generally in a bad mood all the time. If he didn't change something it would end with him something he would regret.

Treading through the corridors he finally reached his room, pausing outside to let out a deep sigh and allowing weariness to overtake him for a moment, before gathering his strength and continuing through into his personal quarters.

Immediately his eyes shot open and his mouth dropped slightly as he beheld who was currently in his bed. Both Nelliel and Harribel were sleeping on either sides, and although they were covered by a blanket he could tell they were clothed in some rather… revealing outfits.

Before he could decide on what to do next Harribel twitched slightly in her sleep, and woke up to notice the newcomer. Nudging her companion slightly the blonde Espada stepped out onto the floor, confirming Ichigo's hypothesis of being barely clothed.

Nel had also left the covers at this point and slowly walked toward the boy, swaying her hips in a sensual way as she leaned up towards him.

"Nel, Harribel wha…"

He was silenced with the green haired woman's lips on his own. With Harribel pressing herself into his back the boy's previous state of near exhaustion was quickly replaced by one of intense arousal.

Being sandwiched by the two beautiful Arrancar, Ichigo was easily led to his bed where he was quickly stripped down by the two women.

Breaking for him to breathe Ichigo was finally given the chance to speak.

"Are you two sure about this, I don't want to try and pressure either of you into something that..."

"Oh don't worry about us Ichigo, let's just say that Harribel and I have done some… experimenting and there won't be any problems with sharing you at the same time. The only question now is, will you be able to keep up with us?"

Ichigo just smirked, before wrapping his arm around the two Arrancar's waists, and tossing them onto the bed thereby initiating a round of giggling from both.

 _***SoD***_

Gin Ichimaru currently sat on a small private balcony of the second floor of his house in the Rukongai. After he had been found not guilty of crimes against the Soul Society, but guilty of 'conduct unbecoming of a seated officer' he was promptly removed from the Gotei 13, and exiled to either the Rukongai or Hueco Mundo.

He had chosen the latter of the two, since it allowed him to spend time with his new roommate Rangiku Matsumoto. The former lieutenant had chosen to leave the Court Guard as well after all of the crimes revolving the SRDI, Aizen, and the exiles was finally brought to light. She simply could not bring herself to serve under another Captain.

"Hey Gin, when are you going to get a job already? Just because we were both given pension plans doesn't mean that we should sit around and be lazy the rest of our lives."

"I don't know, it seems to be working okay for Shunsui-San." The silver haired man replied, and received a smack to the back of his head for his troubles.

"I am not Shunsui and neither are you. You were the one who talked about cleaning up and helping the Rukongai after all. With your experience as a Captain you should be able to start some of the cleanup work that the Gotei 13 mentioned. Heck you might even get one of those new local government jobs that rumor has it are being formed. But instead all you want to do is sit around and watch the clouds?" Rangiku made to hit him again when he caught her wrist, and stood up to look her in the eyes.

"Actually Rangiku-chan, I was thinking about something a bit more… vigorous." Gin replied, before picking the woman up bridal style and sweeping her back into the house, earning a few moans along the way.

 _***SoD***_

The next morning Stark, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and the remaining Fraccion were busy enjoying their breakfasts, when a jubilant Nelliel, Harribel, and Ichigo strode into the room.

The two females were giggling and conversing with a sense of happiness that had not been heard since before the war, while Ichigo looked far more rested and relaxed than he had been in months.

Stark was the first to piece everything together and a broad grin appeared on his face.

"It looks as though the new Lord of Las Noches has claimed his prize. Tell me Ichigo, do you have any advice for a fellow man on seducing two lovely creatures?" the Primera called out, eliciting a glare and blush from the two women, while Ichigo merely sent him a cocky grin back.

"Sorry Stark you are on your own there. I might know a lot about Ulquiorra but I have no advice on how to seduce him or Grimmjow."

"WHAT!?" The blue haired Espada shouted immediately, while Ulquiorra went wide eyed, and started to slide his chair away from the brown haired Espada, a small amount of fear in his eyes.

"B-b-but I didn't mean… damnit Ichigo!" The Espada stuttered out.

"Stark what does Ichigo mean by that? Are you, Ulqi, and blue-hair in a relationship or something?" Lilleynette asked, a genuine curiosity forming on her face.

Meanwhile Pesche and Dondochakka snickered to each other while Harribel's two Fraccion turned beat red as the images popped into their minds.

Grimmjow finally sat back down, in a seat considerably farther away from the Primera than before, muttering about locking his door from now on at night.

"Sorry Stark I just assumed after the whole incident where you spent the night in my room that you had moved on to the others. I didn't mean to offend you of course it's just that… I already have as many lovers as I can handle right now." The Cero Espada continued on, earning another growl from his friend.

"AH HA! SO YOU ADMIT IT! YOU HAVE CORRUPTED LADY NELLIEL AND NOT SO LADY-LIKE HARRIBEL TO YOUR FIENDISH WAYS!" Pesche shouted, in exaggeration.

"Wait… at the same time?" Dondochakka asked, and suddenly whispered something in his fellow Fraccion's ear, as the two males ignored the death glares that all the females in the room were sending them for various reasons.

"B-but that means…. THERE IS A KAMI AFTER ALL!" Pesche called out, as blood poured from his nose due to his fantasizing.

Unfortunately he never noticed the increasing glares from the two Espada Females as Nelliel walked up and kicked him in the face, sending him colliding into a wall and knocking him out.

"Why the hell do my Fraccion have to be the perverts?" she muttered under her breath.

 _***SoD***_

Yamamoto was tired.

He tired of trying to lead an entire army, of having to deal with the politics of the new Central 46, of being the only one forced to deal with the Royal Guard and their intrusions, and of trying to negotiate with the, surprisingly amicable, Arrancar forces.

But mostly he was tired of the constant random interruptions, especially by the blond haired man who stood before him one more.

"Kisuke Urahara." The elder man grumbled out, unconsciously reaching into a desk drawer to try and locate the secret bottle of sake that he had stored away for times like this.

"Hello old man, I hope I am not interrupting anything." The shopkeeper grinned, waving his fan in front of his face.

"You are always interrupting. What do you want this time?"

"Well see the funny thing is that we have a bit of a problem."

"I seem to recall you saying something similar a few months ago… and the result of this 'problem' was the deaths of several Captains and officers of the Gotei 13."

"AND a treaty with the most powerful faction in Hueco Mundo. Which has resulted in Shinigami being able to perform their jobs at a much more effective rate than ever before." The jovial ex-Captain chimed in, earning a grunt in response.

"Get on with it Urahara."

"But of course, like I said we have a small problem, and well…"

"I told you that you should have just let me handle this Urahara." A voice called out, as Ichigo Kurosaki strolled out from nowhere.

"If I remember correctly, _boy_ you and your kind are supposed to stay out of the Soul Society."

"Normally I would, I have no love of this place as you undoubtedly are aware of. But the problem is that you are faced with a situation that will either destroy the Seireitei or, at the very best, leave your forces even more crippled than before. Again I would be happy to let you destroy yourselves, but there are Shinigami I still respect. That and I have no interest in putting the balance of the worlds, and my own friends, at risk just to keep our treaty perfectly intact."

"What is he talking about Urahara?"

"It seems as though Yhwach is preparing for war…"

***A/N***

 **As in two previous chapters the MA content has been removed and will only be included in the version posted to Deviantart. My account name is** **AngelSlayer40** **for it.**

So a noncombat chapter this time, but a nice change from the others I must say. Lots of issues resolved and question answered, I hope, in this as well. Some of you will probably notice that this chapter is going back to my 'shorter' writings, which is what I am aiming for. With my new stories under development I want resume slightly shorter chapters so I am not rushed, and hopefully I do not rush the chapter as a result.


	31. First Strike

**Shadows of Deceit**

First Strike

Thanks to all you lovely readers, reviewers, and those who favorited my story.

***Even now, after these many months, I own no part of Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

"Hey Candice?"

The woman sighed before answering, "Yes Giselle?"

"I know we have seen some strange things here in Silbern… but has it ever rained up before?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I mean it is raining up, like the water is going up rather than coming down."

"That isn't possible you moron."

"Are you sure? Because it kind of is right now."

The various female Sternritter who had been walking together went to the nearby window, and noticed that it did in fact appear to be 'raining up' as their companion had so eloquently stated.

"What the hell…" Bambietta muttered before noticing something else was very wrong, it was dark out in the middle of the day. Then she realized that it wasn't dark per say but rather everything was under a giant shadow.

On the streets below Jerome had been wondering the same thing, until he gazed upwards and saw the gigantic sphere of water floating a mile above the city. The object seemed to be over a third of a mile in size.

His last thought before this object dropped would be "Ah shit."

 _***SoD***_

" _La Gota Gran"_ The dark skinned Espada called out in her Segunda Etapa form, releasing her control over the force that kept the attack floating in the sky, and dropping it to the ground.

A few seconds later the sphere hit the ground, at over 200mph.

The results were devastating.

Tsunamis hundreds of feet high swept forth in all directions, utterly annihilating any structures that stood in their way.

The vast majority of the Quincy army would be killed upon impact, with nothing remaining of their bodies.

Luckily a barrier had been placed around Yhwach's palace, protecting it from the initial assault.

Virtually all of the Sternritter were also safely shielded inside.

The rest of the city was not so lucky.

 _***SoD***_

"Damn, remind me to never piss her off." Grimmjow commented after seeing the destruction caused by the Segunda Espada.

"It is quite the devastating technique Harribel. You appear to gather all of the water from the surrounding area and the rain that is normally produced by your release and concentrate it into a single area, but it appears to have taken most of your strength to do so correct?" Ulquiorra analyzed and received a confirmation from the woman in question.

"That is why we are here, to protect her while she is recovering." Nelliel spoke out.

"And we are here to kick ass in the meantime!" Kenpachi roared out with glee, standing amongst his fellow Captains.

"You always were a bit of a maniac Kenpachi, no wonder you were so excited for this mission."

"Hey I don't hear you complaining about it Renji."

"Just because I don't run around starting fights every chance I get doesn't mean I don't enjoy them every once and a while."

"Captains let's save the fighting for the Quincy eh?" Shunsui spoke up, silencing the two.

"Now that your initial attack has been completed what is the next stage in your plan Ichigo Kurosaki?" The eldest Shinigami questioned as the others turned toward the boy who was responsible for allowing the entire assault to occur.

"Simple, your Captains and the Espada stay here and mop up the remaining Sternritter, while we go and take care of the big boss himself." The Arrancar responded.

"Not without us your not son, if you really think I am just going to let you waltz into that bastard's throne room without help you are out of your damn mind." Isshin criticized.

"That goes double for us Ichigo. Kisuke and I owe you way too much to let you fight this battle alone. Besides someone has to make sure that this senile old bastard keeps his word." The dark skinned ex-Captain called out, pulling her blond friend along with her.

"Lady Yoruichi, I will stay here with the other outcasts to aide them if that is okay." Sui-Feng spoke up, earning a nod of approval as she moved back to stand with the Visored and Tessai.

"Oh my my my, as much as I would love joining you in your epic quest Ichigo-Kun I think I might have more fun here with my former colleagues. We have so much to reminisce on after all." the silver haired ex-Captain declared, as he stood with the Espada.

"What I don't get is why you brought everyone along Ichigo. I mean don't you think it is a bit of an overkill?" Stark asked, motioning behind him at the remaining assembled Arrancar. "After all you already have us five, the exiles, the Visoreds, and the Gotei 13. Did you really think we would need the other sixteen Vasto Lorde Class Arrancars as well?"

At this statement the Shinigami again shivered at the thought of having another war with Hueco Mundo now that this fact had been revealed. It had only taken a handful of Vasto Lorde the first time to do absolutely devastating damage to their ranks. Add another _sixteen_ onto that and they weren't sure even the intervention of the Royal Guard would allow for victory.

"I probably could have left them back at Las Noches, but I would rather have more forces than needed than risk anyone dying unnecessarily from our forces. Are you sure you want to be here though Ryuken-San? These are your people after all." The Arrancar leader inquired.

"They are not my people Ichigo. They are threatening the balance of the worlds with this ignorant war of theirs and their so called 'God' was the reason that my wife and your mother are dead. There is no reason for me to associate with any of these false Quincy."

"If you say so, okay anyone who is coming with me stand over here. The rest of you stay safe and don't take any unnecessary risks. Stark you are in charge of our forces." Ichigo ordered, as Yamamoto, Ryuken, Isshin, Yoruichi, and Kisuke walked over and placed their hands on the boy as before, vanishing instantly.

"I don't think I will ever get over seeing him do that." Nel muttered before Ulquiorra informed them of the impending Sternritter counter attack.

 _***SoD***_

Ichigo and his company stepped out into Yhwach's throne room, immediately eliciting a gasp from a nearby Quincy attendant while the man identified as Haschwalth glared in shock.

"Halt, none of you are worthy of approaching his highness."

"Uh huh, listen I don't have time to deal with you I only came to get rid of your boss and stop any of these future wars that he might have had planned. It's his fault anyway, we would have been more than happy to accept peace between all three major factions but…" Ichigo was interrupted as a chuckle echoed through the chamber.

"Peace? There can and will be no peace between us Ichigo Kurosaki. The Quincy will never accept the existence of Hollows and we have suffered enough from the Shinigami to ever allow them to live. The only real question here is whether or not all of you are going to die in this place, or if you will flee back to your respective kingdoms to await your inevitable end." The Quincy leader replied.

"Enough of this Yhwach your existence has continued for far longer than it should have been, it is time that we end this vendetta between us once and for all." The eldest Shinigami roared out in anger.

"Ah Yamamoto, once upon a time I had considered you perhaps the greatest threat to my plans, but now you are weak and foolish. Peace has made the Gotei 13 pathetic. It is now a mockery of what it once was."

"Do not mistake kindness with weakness. We will show you that the Gotei 13 is just as powerful as we have always been, your forces are under attack even as we speak, and you will not survive again."

"Well then let us see just what you are capable of after a thousand years." Immediately the Father of all Quincy spread forth his arms, summoning his elite royal guard to his side along with Haschwalth.

 _***SoD***_

"Ten o' clock Stark, about thirty degrees below perpendicular." Ulquiorra called out.

Stark immediately adjusted his rifle in his hand, turning to his left and aiming down, his rifle raised to his face.

"Yeah I found the signature, you sure that's him?"

"Yes which means you only have one shot."

"Yeah yeah don't get your panties in a bunch."

"I do not wear panties and I assure you that my boxers do not 'bunch' as you put it."

"It's an expression Ulquiorra it means relax."

"I am well aware of what it means Stark."

"Then why are you being such a smartass?"

"WOULD THE TWO OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND TAKE THE FREAKING SHOT" Harribel shouted, becoming rather annoyed at the two male Espada's bickering.

Immediately the Primera pulled the trigger of his Segunda Resurreccion's weapon, firing a single _Disparo_ through a window a good distance away.

"There happy? Jeeze way to take the fun out of life."

"We are not here to have fun Stark, we are here to ensure that the Sternritter are eliminated 'with extreme prejudice'."

"Yeah I know, doesn't mean we can't at least try and enjoy the change in scenery a bit though."

"Uh I hate to interrupt you, but I have a real quick question. What the hell did you just shoot?" Shinji asked.

"Oh just performing a quick neurosurgery. One of their members has an extremely dangerous ability to warp reality with his thoughts so we wanted to take care of him before he became an annoying problem."

 _***SoD***_

What Shinji hadn't seen was the fact that the shot had pierced through a window and blow off the 'Precuneus' portion of Gremmy's brain. Thus removing his ability to use his imagination and destroying him instantly.

 _***SoD***_

"Well…. that's terrifying and all but it looks like some of the others are going to need our help soon." The Visored leader called out, as he looked across at the various Shinigami Captains engaged with Sternritter members.

"Eh they will be fine, just tell them to use their Bankai's and it will be pretty easy wins for all of them." Stark replied nonchalantly as he glanced over at his pale friend.

"Next target is at seven o' clock, seventy degrees low, apparently he thinks he can sneak up on us with his irritating power. If I remember correctly this is the one whose ability resembles Zommari's ability."

"Ah yes that creepy overweight guy that Ichigo described as wearing a thong… why the hell didn't we kill him first?"

"Because Gremmy's power is considerably more dangerous than PePe's."

"Yeah but PePe's is considerably more creepy."

"Creepiness is not a factor in determining one's effectiveness in combat situations."

"Yes I realize that but it should be."

"Perhaps you should bring this idea up with Ichigo during the next council meeting."

"Oh you mean those meetings where I get ganged up on and made fun of by the rest of you? Yeah that will be super fun."

"The point of the council meetings is not to have fun…"

"SWEET GOD IN HEAVEN IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP ARGUING ABOUT THIS CRAP I WILL BEAT THE BOTH OF YOU TO DEATH!" Again it was the dark skinned female to break up the argument, with Nelliel giggling in the background.

Grumbling about the lack of respect Stark, again, pulled the trigger on his rifle. Another shot rang out, which instantly pierced the Sternritter's heart, killing him and removing another of the "threats" that Ichigo had identified in his reconnaissance.

 _***SoD***_

"I must say this is quite the unexpected turn of events, I had thought that we would catch all of you completely off guard with our invasion. Not only that but you seem to know quite a bit about us and our abilities. Would you mind explaining this?" Yhwach called out, after watching Pernida's nerve attack hit some sort of barrier created by the blond genius after which a poison raced down it, infecting and turning the former hand of the Soul King into a puddle of goo shortly afterwards.

Gerard had immediately charged forward, and found himself clashing blades with Isshin, while Ryuken and Lille had taken to firing at each other. Finally Askin was staying as far from the battle as possible.

"You never noticed all of the signs that we knew beforehand? Did you really think it was coincidence that you lost your ability to monitor the war between the Arrancar and Soul Society directly after Aaroniero activated that eclipse device? I asked Szayel to build something to that specification, although I sort of lied about the entire purpose of it." Ichigo explained earning several wide eyed stares from around the room.

"I have known about your monitoring of us since I activated my powers after all."

***Flashback***

 _With his order given the various Espada began to Sonido back towards the fortress, until only Ichigo and the two female Espada remained. The two females gave Ichigo a worried look; he had been staring out into space, as if he was looking at something that no one else could see before disappearing after their comrades._

" _Thank you Aizen-Sama, but I didn't leave with you; I saw something interesting and decided to watch it for a bit." Ichigo shrugged out an answer as the other Espada arrived._

***End Flashback***

"And as for the preparations, well I decided to give Urahara a chance to help me and we having been observing you for several months now. Which is why we already know what all of your Sternritter are capable of, and we have developed countermeasures for them." The Espada finished his explanation.

 _***SoD***_

Renji was pushed back, again, by the heat of Bazz-B's attack. Growling in annoyance the Shinigami decided to end the fight permanently.

"Bankai!"

His opponent just laughed, and held up his medallion, not noticing the strange skull design that adorned the new gauntlet form that Renji had been given by the Royal Guard.

As the energy wrapped around the man's weapon, it suddenly lashed back at the Quincy, causing lacerations on the man's hand around where he had held the Quincy device.

"What the hell!?"

"Sorry, we were all told about your plan to 'steal' our Bankai's. Let's see what you can do when that fails." Renji shouted, flash stepping forward and slamming the blade into the man's stomach, before activating his ultimate technique.

" _Soo Zabimaru Zaga Teppo_ "

A massive burst of energy covered the Sternritter, destroying him completely.

 _***SoD***_

"Oh yes indeed, it was quite a difficult task coming up with all of those ideas. Of course the easiest was probably those medallions of yours. After all we had to convince the Gotei 13 that they would have to let their Bankai's Hollowfy temporarily in order to prevent them from being stolen, though I rather enjoy the new looks for some of them." The shopkeeper called out, gleeful for his efforts to be acknowledged.

The Quincy king scowled in response, this would undoubtedly cause problems. The greatest advantage that the Quincy had was their knowledge over the Shinigami. With the situation reversed there was little doubt that the Sternritter would suffer horrendous casualties.

 _***SoD***_

"Nice job there Renji, although not as good as me of course." Ikkaku gloated, having already defeated two Sternritter with his re-forged Bankai.

"Yeah well at least I still beat you in being made Captain you bald headed jackass!"

"WHAT WAS THAT PINEAPPLE!? YOU WANT TO FREAKING FIGHT CAUSE I SWEAR I WILL CUT YOU DOWN LIKE A…" However their squabbling was interrupted by the arrival of As Nodt.

The Quincy immediately fired a flurry of projectiles, which the two Captains were unable to dodge in time, forcing them to be paralyzed with fear.

"And now I shall avenge the three who have fallen by your hands." The Quincy called out, motioning to the bodies of BG9 and Berenice.

"Shit Renji muttered out, trying to stand and counter attack but finding his body was shaking too badly for him to do so.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile Kenpachi was having a fantastic time. Swinging his released Zanpakuto around, he cut through some guy by the name of 'Driscoll' in a single slash, before running towards his next opponent.

His power had been fully awakened when Yamamoto was informed of Yhwach's return. Instead of allowing Unohana to do so he had elected to fight the bloodthirsty Captain himself, stating that "If Soul Society were to lose any more Captains it would be disastrous for the future." The first Kenpachi had reluctantly agreed and instead kept them both in fighting shape as they had torn each other apart in Muken.

Now with his powers fully unleashed Zaraki found that there were few, if any, who could challenge his might.

He had already insisted on fighting Ichigo again once this newest conflict was over, claiming it would 'improve relations' with the Arrancar forces.

Suddenly he found himself charging… himself?

An exact duplicate of him was charging straight for him, same Zanpakuto and all. Giving a shrug the spiky haired man decided not to give it too much thought and simply cut himself up just like he had the last Quincy.

As the two were about to clash, the fake Kenpachi's head fell from his shoulders in a slash of light. The real Zaraki stopped in his tracks, and glared over at the grinning ex-Captain, ex-traitor Ichimaru.

"YOU KILL STEALING SON OF A BITCH!"

"You can thank me later Kenpachi-kun, oh wait is that… SHINJI-CHAN YOU'VE COME BACK TO ME!" the silver haired man shouted, earning a scream of terror from the blond in question as Gin began skipping towards him.

 _***SoD***_

Nelliel and Ulquiorra were busy locked in combat with the group of female Sternritter. Harribel had been providing some support, but it was limited after her massive attack and so she had required protection more than anything else.

Candice and Bambietta had taken to bombarding the trio with attacks, only for Nel to absorb the projectiles. Meanwhile Ulquiorra was combatting Meninas, Liltotto, and Giselle.

"This bitch is starting to piss me off Bambi" Candice growled out as another lightning bolt failed to make any impact on their opponent.

"I know what you mean, these stupid Hollows were not supposed to be this powerful, and most of them are just standing around doing nothing still." The other Quincy said nervously glancing over at the Espada who had yet to enter the battle.

"They are probably just scared of us. After all we are his Highnesses elite warriors." The blonde stated in confidence. Just then Meninas shot past her male opponent, aiming for Nelliel's unguarded flank, when the intended victim spun around. Calling upon a small portion of the energy she had absorbed, the pale skinned beauty cut the woman in half with a single slash.

"W-wha…" the woman muttered in shock before falling to the ground below

"Enough of this Ulquiorra, it is to finish this irritating battle." The green haired Espada called out, earning a nod from the pale man, who instantly increased his spiritual pressure, causing the Sternritter to sweat from the raw power.

'How are they so powerful!?' Bambietta questioned, before the man formed a lance like weapon out of pure energy, and appeared directly in front of her cutting her vertically in half. He then before threw the weapon at Giselle, causing a massive explosion and disintegrating the zombie Quincy.

 _***SoD***_

"Too bad, I was hoping that we could test our anti-Zombie drug on at least one Shinigami or Arrancar. mMy father would have enjoyed watching his work come to fruition." Nemu muttered out, as she observed the various battles so far.

She had been one of the two nominated to fill the role that the Shinigami had left unoccupied after his death. Between her and Akon the remaining Captains felt that she would be a better choice for someone to continue his legacy, and to prevent any further problems like the ones they had before.

Gazing across the battlefield she caught sight of the former Captain Kensei trapped in a Reishi sphere created by Quilge.

Remembering his specific power the woman pulled out a strange looked device that looked a bit like a microphone. Aiming it at the captured Visored she unleashed a wave of blue energy. Upon striking the sphere the energy caused it to begin dissolving away, allowing the imprisoned Visored to slam his Bankai empowered fist into the Quincy, causing the man to cough up blood in response.

 _***SoD***_

"It seems you were quite prepared for us Yamamoto. Unfortunately even with these preparations you have no chance of winning." The Quincy lord called out.

The eldest Shinigami merely glared in response, before activating his Bankai.

"You old fool, even without the power to steal your Bankai I have already witnessed its power. Thus with the 'Almighty' I have become immune to your Zanpakuto."

The Captain Commander ignored the boast and shot forward, intending on ending the duel in a single attack. Instead he was met by a strange barrier that coated his enemy, repelling the force of his swing.

"Impossible! Even if you are aware of _Zanka no Tachi_ 's abilities you cannot counter the power of the sun itself!"

"Ah but there is where you are wrong. As I said before I am immune to your abilities, yet another reason why I did not consider you as one of the deciding factors in this war."

"Looks like it is my job to end this old man" Ichigo stated, stepping forward and drawing his sword against the Quincy leader

"Very well Ichigo Kurosaki, I will deal with the cowardly Sternritter and ensure that there is no interference in your battle. Make sure that he does not leave this room alive though." The elder man relented as he moved off to challenge Askin.

"So Ichigo Kurosaki it has come down to this. The Arrancar leader facing off against the Quincy God."

"Quite humble of you to refer to yourself as a 'God' Yhwach, I would say you are more like an irritating war monger. God's do not strive to end life."

Charging forward Ichigo slashed at the man, who promptly summoned his blade and parried the assault, being pushed back a few steps from the force.

"Impressive but let's see exactly how skilled you are with that sword."

 _***SoD***_

"I am surprised by you Ryuken Ishida. After the death of your son I would have expected you to join us rather than stand by the Shinigami or the Hollows against your own kind."

"That is why you will fail in this war Haschwalth. You and your kin think only of the present and nothing of the future when this conflict is over. With your rule there would never be any peace, and millions of innocent people will die just because your lord has a grudge against the Shinigami."

"His Majesty sees all and knows all. He has planned this war from the beginning until the end and there can be no victory against him."

"I am sure that the Gotei 13 said the same thing before their war against Aizen. I have found that Ichigo Kurosaki is capable of defying all logic and planning."

The two continued their banter as the Sternritter persisted in trying to engage the pureblood in melee combat, while Ryuken merely kept the man at distance with his terrifying accuracy and ranged skills.

 _***SoD***_

"You know I was expecting this to be exciting Unohana but now… this is almost too easy." Kenpachi remarked, glancing down at the body of Cang Du, who had claimed that only Yhwach could cut him only to be sliced in half effortlessly by the Captain.

"I warned you that once your full power was awakened and you achieved Shikai that there would be very few who could ever challenge your might. Now quit fidgeting and let me heal you, just because you can slaughter every opponent doesn't make you invincible."

"Yeah yeah, it still pisses me off that the old man wouldn't let me go to Yhwach's palace but ordered me to stay here and deal with the small fries."

"True but with all the other warriors who went to the palace I doubt you would have been allowed a one on one fight anyway."

"Yeah, and I guess I can always challenge the Espada after the Quincy are all dead. YOU HEAR THAT ARRANCAR? AFTER THESE BASTARDS ARE DEAD WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A REMATCH" The bloodthirsty man shouted toward the Espada.

"I don't even know who the hell you are!" Stark shouted back earning a growl of annoyance from the Captain.

The duo glanced around for their next opponent and to take in the current state of combat.

Shinji and Kensei were finishing up on an older Quincy who had called himself 'Robert', while the Espada were just about done killing the remaining group of female Sternritter.

Shunsui was busy facing off against some weirdo in a star mask.

However Kenpachi did spy a man who looked suspiciously like the so called 'God of Quincy'. With a large grin Zaraki leapt forward, not caring if the man was indeed Yhwach or if it was one of those stupid 'copy' Sternritter.

 _***SoD***_

"This battle is pointless Ichigo. Even if I cannot render myself immune to your abilities there is no chance of you defeating me. I have centuries of experience and more power than you could ever hope to wield. The only ones who possessed the strength to stop me were the Royal Guard and Yamamoto and they have all been rendered helpless before The Almighty."

"Well if that is the case then perhaps I should end this battle now, before we draw this out any further than it already has?"

Bringing his sword up to his face, Ichigo shifted the blade in his hands and looked down onto the side of the blade, allowing his own image to reflect back into his eyes. Then he did the strangest thing that Yhwach ever had seen happen during combat.

He gave a relieved, almost happy smile.

"Segunda Etapa"

 _***SoD***_

Elsewhere the remaining combatants glanced up at the sky. An eclipse had started covering the Sun, which had once shone so brightly on the battlefield, giving the world a dusk-like appearance.

"So it has come to this has it?" Stark muttered out.

"Come to what?" Shinji asked from nearby, earning curious glances from the rest of the combatants as well.

"Ichigo has decided active his second form."

"Wait, he achieved Segunda Etapa?" Shunsui inquired.

"Of course he has, although it was considerably more difficult for him than the rest of us. Ichigo's aspect of death was 'anguish' thus he had to overcome the loss of his friends, of Rukia Kuchki, and even of his own mother in order to achieve it." Nelliel replied sadly, knowing all the pain he had to go through, and let go of.

"So how powerful is he about to become?" Renji asked, curious about the sudden jump in power his former rival had achieved.

"It is quite impressive, it allows him to control all darkness and shadows in the area. Essentially think of Harribel's abilities on a much grander scale. It is virtually impossible to escape from it even when you know exactly what it entails." Ulquiorra analyzed, having already seen the form himself.

"Actually that's not quite accurate."

All attention immediately went to the boy's proclaimed 'brother'.

Stark merely let out a sigh before elaborating.

"Ichigo's second form does in fact control the darkness and shadows of this world, but that is more like a secondary ability. Sort of like the increased spiritual density that your form provides Ulquiorra. The true power of Ichigo's Segunda Etapa is a bit more… complicated."

"What do you mean?" this time it was Harribel who asked, wondering what she, Ulquiorra, and Nel had missed when witnessing Ichigo's new power.

"Remember when I asked why he had us come along? When I stated it was overkill? I wasn't referring to the extra Arrancar, or even us. I was implying that no one needed to come along with him. His Segunda Etapa is more than capable of ending this war by itself."

The shocked expressions on the Shinigami, even the other Arrancar's faces, were priceless as the eclipse reached its zenith.

 _***SoD***_

The fighting inside the royal palace had ceased, all eyes had frozen onto the Arrancar leader's new form. His armor had faded away in a black wisp of smoke, leaving behind a black button up shirt with a red tie, along with black dress pants and dress shoes.

" _Funeraria Sombra"_

Immediately taking advantage of his opponent's apparent lack in focus Yhwach leapt towards Ichigo, slashing downwards to try and cut the boy in half vertically.

Isshin tried to move to intervene, but was blocked by his opponent. Ryuken tried as well but found his arrows intercepted by Haschwalth. Yoruichi and Urahara were too busy trying to fend off Lille and Nianzol to reach him in time.

What happened next surprised even the Quincy King himself.

A _Heilig Pfeil_ fired from nearby, parrying the man's blade and knocking it from its intended path.

It was then that a very feminine voice, one that had not been heard in many years, called out.

"You will not lay a hand on _my son_ Yhwach."

***A/N***

Translations-

Funeraria Sombra – Funeral of Shadows

More cliffhangers! Sorry if this chapter seemed rush, and I am sure I will get quite a few complaints as to how the 'Blood War' is being handled, but as I said before this was always going to be rushed. I really dislike this part of Bleach so far and the Sternritter in general seem to be really boring poorly developed enemies.

I have another FanFiction planned for Bleach that will be Quincy focused so I intend to put everything that was cut from this part into that story instead, yet another reason this was short since I don't want to burn myself out by writing another five chapters of these fights.

The main reason though is that the Sternritter got their asses kicked in Bleach. Now I know a lot of people are going to be commenting with "that's total BS they killed like a ton of Captains and etc etc etc."

But really? It was like three guys who actually caused everyone problems and they were just ridiculous characters.

"I can create anything I imagine"? What kind of bull crap power is that?

Either way the only reasons, in my mind, that the Quincy did so well was: A. the element of surprise, B. they had way better info on the Shinigami than the Shinigami had on them, and C. overpowered bullshit characters who were virtually all powerful until Kubo decided they needed to lose in stupid ways.

So this is my take on "What if the roles were reversed and the Shinigami/Arrancar knew what to expect rather than vice versa?" Also I think we are close to half the Sternritter being defeated 'off screen' even in the Manga at this point so I don't really feel all that bad by killing most of them here in that way.

To RG-Guest: I will probably not base any more stories on this one, but I do plan on writing two more Bleach FanFics at some point, one being Quincy focused and the other one will be a "what-if" story based on Ichigo WITHOUT a Zanpakuto. I did read your review on Deviantart and I deeply appreciate you taking the time to do so. Generally I am not a huge fan of the filler arcs, which is why I barely mentioned them. I don't really use Deviantart for much besides posting the 'MA' sections of the story so I will probably not respond on it unless someone directly comments and I can PM them back through the site itself.

If anyone has suggestions for the new Sternritter, I will be remaking them, please feel free to comment or PM me. If I use your idea in my next story I will make sure to give you credit.

As always I hope you all enjoyed this Chapter.


	32. Last Farewell

**Shadows of Deceit**

Last Farewell

I wish to think everyone who has ever read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story.

***Even as our tale draws to a close I have yet to own any part of Bleach. ***

 _***SoD***_

Those present just stared as the woman, now identified as Masaki Kurosaki, walked forward and came to a halt next to her son.

"M-M-M-M-Masaki?" Isshin stuttered out, his brain effectively shutting down at seeing his wife once more.

The woman in question glanced over at her husband, before walking over to him with a gentle, yet dangerous, smile on her face.

"Oh Isshin-Kun, would you mind explaining to me why our son had to find out from an evil manipulative bastard what his heritage was?"

Her sickeningly sweet tone was what brought the former Captain out of his stupor.

"Uh well you see dear, it really is a funny story because after you died... how did you manage to come back by the way?" The man questioned, trying desperately to shift the focus off of his impending demise.

"That would be due to me." Ichigo answered, his eyes having a happy glow to them as he watched his mother's continued advance.

Suddenly a dozen Quincy arrows flew forward toward the boy in question, launched by Yhwach while his opponent was distracted. Before they could reach their intended victim they were intercepted, and bounced harmlessly off of a strange triangular shield that had risen to protect the Arrancar.

"You really should be more careful Kurosaki-Kun." The young female voice called out, as Orihime emerged from a nearby shadow, first being a shape made of darkness and smoke until that faded to reveal her normal appearance.

"Yeah I know sorry about that Orihime. To be fair I know that you, Tatsuki, and Chad always have my back."

Said giant and female appeared a moment later, delivering fists to the elder Quincy's face, and launching him across the room.

"THAT IS FOR ATTACKING MY FRIEND WHEN HIS BACK WAS TURNED YOU ASSHOLE!" The girl yelled, before stretching her limbs a bit and glancing over at Chad's considerably evolved armored arms.

"Oh come on that's totally not fair. Why does Chad get badass armor while I just get faster and more powerful?"

"That's because my powers are based on a Fullbringer's while yours are not." The giant answered, before giving a nod to his Espada friend who returned it with a smile.

 _***SoD***_

The fear inducing Quincy slowly strode towards the two disabled Captains, intending on making their ends as slow and painful as possible for the lives they had taken.

"It is pointless to struggle Shinigami. Soon his Majesty will defeat all who stand before him and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do to stop it!"

"Is this all you are capable of Renji?" A new voice called out, causing the red haired man's eyes to widen in shock. "I always knew you would someday become a Captain but to think that you would take over my own squad, and then allow yourself to be held back by an imagined fear is quite disappointing."

Glancing back the tattooed Captain's mouth hit the ground as he witnessed something that even in his dreams never came true. Byakuya Kuchki strode forward, his ever present nobility clinging to him like a cloak.

"C-Captain…"

"Not anymore Renji, that is your title now and I expect you to live up to what it entails. The fear this man speaks of is nothing more than an illusion that can be conquered. If you conquer your own fears than what is left? The power you are witnessing is due to his fears not yours."

"But what if I fail again? I have failed so many Captain…"

"Then you learn from these failures and rise again. Failure is not losing rather it is the act of refusing to get back up when you have been defeated. It is giving up that causes failure. Look at Ichigo, how many times has he failed only to refuse the idea and rise up against all odds?" This time the encouragement came not from Renji's former Captain, but from his best friend, Rukia Kuchki.

"Rukia? But how?"

"Does it matter Renji? You need to let go of the failure you perceive in yourself. You are a strong leader and are more than capable of doing great things. But first you must overcome this man who sees himself as greater than you."

Renji could only nod, appearing as though he was in a daze, before struggling to his feet and glaring at the shocked Sternritter.

"Impossible! You should not be able to move much less stand, and who are you brat? The man I recognize as a former Captain but he should be dead!"

"I am Rukia Kuchki, and I believe you have far more important things to be worried about than ascertaining where I came from."

Suddenly the Sternritter leapt backwards, receiving a cut along his shoulder from the Captain's blade.

"I need to finish you up quickly freak, after all it looks like I have some catching up to do with some friends of mine." Renji finished, before creating a Kido blast that filled that area with smoke.

A second later the Quincy was pierced from behind, the blade destroying his heart instantly.

 _***SoD***_

"All of these spiritual signatures…" Shunsui muttered out in awe as he felt the Reiatsu of fallen Captains and Shinigami appearing across the battlefield.

"Indeed Shunsui-San, as Stark mentioned Ichigo's power is far beyond anything that any of us have ever encountered. In this state he ironically becomes more of a 'Shinigami' than any of us can ever claim to have been. He controls the force of death that is present in the area that his Spiritual energy covers. Of course as powerful as he is, this is essentially everything within a hundred miles or so at least." The dual wielding Captain immediately spun around, and came face to face with his deceased best friend, Ukitake.

"B-but how? Ukitake how are you here?"

"As I told you before Shunsui-San, Ichigo controls all manner of life and death in this place. Thus all who have perished before can be conjured by him."

"Wait, ALL who have perished?"

"Yes, it is exactly as I have implied. While in this state Ichigo has an army beyond anything we can even imagine. Although he has not chosen yet to do so he could easily override our free will and turn us into a faceless army, each of us with our full potential realized. But for the time being we have simply been returned to this place."

 _***SoD***_

"Father?" Nemu whispered out, watching with shocked eyes as her former Captain and creator approached her with an analytical gaze.

"So you have taken up command of the SRDI and Squad twelve. Good, Akon was too afraid of change to be put in charge."

"I have missed you Mayuri-Sama, but how and why are you here?"

"I would imagine it has to deal with that infuriating brat Ichigo Kurosaki. He most likely wishes to try and make some amends for killing me." The former Captain replied.

"But how is he able to do this?"

"Ah I see that you have yet to learn one of the most important lessons in being a scientist. 'Not all problems can be answered, not all mysteries are meant to be solved'."

"I do not understand Mayuri-Sama! You always told me to always look for the truth, and that we must strive to know all life's secrets!"

"True but think about what you just said. I said 'strive' not 'know'. The truth is that we can never know everything and even if we were able to I would choose not to do so. After all what would be the fun of life if there were no mysteries or problems to solve?"

"I miss you Mayuri-Sama."

"I miss you too Nemu, my daughter."

And for the first time the deceased man hugged his child.

 _***SoD***_

"So Shinji, did you and Hiyori ever hookup?" The returned form of Love asked, as the former Visored Captains met up.

This of course caused Kensei to do a double take, and then start roaring out in laughter while Rose just shook his head at their antics.

"OF COURSE NOT! She is just a little blonde pipsqueak. I have no interest in her like that!"

"Oh really, because from what we have seen and heard from Kurosaki you two have visited Hueco Mundo a few times while Hiyori goes on her little 'play dates' with the Arrancar girl. Strangely enough it is always YOU who is accompanying her, no one else." Love continued prodding with a grin forming on his face.

"Y-yeah well…. shut up." the blond man replied with a scowl, true he was ecstatic to see his fallen friends again but he could have done without their teasing.

"Oh man he is even worse back home, he and Hiyori are practically tied to the hip. I am pretty sure there have been nights where they sleep in the same room together." Kensei chimed in, after struggling to get his laughter under control.

"Oh? How very scandalous of you Shinji, taking advantage of an innocent young girl like that." This time it was Rose who had continued the teasing.

"INNOCENT MY ASS YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN WHAT SHE CAN DO WITH…" Immediately the former Captain shut his mouth, his eyes widening and his face turning bright red.

"SHINJI-CHAN HOW COULD YOU BETRAY OUR LOVE LIKE THIS!?" A familiar voice rang out, earning a panicked expression from the Visored leader.

"Dear God in heaven what did I do to deserve this?" Shinji muttered, before glancing over as he saw a weeping Ichimaru _prancing_ towards them.

"Oh my Shinji, are you having an affair along with your disgraceful relationship as well?" the dark haired Visored chuckled, nudging the man in question with his elbow.

"Maybe Shinji is just working towards his ultimate fantasy, a 'beautiful' threesome between him, Hiyori, and Ichimaru." Rose replied with a chuckle.

This comment succeeded in freezing the former blonde Captain's face in a horror stricken expression, his mind betraying him and filling his thoughts with the idea.

"If I thought that cutting you two to pieces would help the situation I would have done so already…" the man muttered out, glaring at the two returned Visored in annoyance.

"We should get going though. As much as I find it amusing I would rather not have to deal with Gin trying to cuddle with Shinji right now, my mind feels dirty enough after that last comment." Kensei called out. This earned a reluctant nod from the two deceased men before the four disappeared in a flurry of Shunpo, just in time to avoid the silver haired ex-Captain.

"SHINJI-KUN WHY DO YOU DENY OUR FEELINGS!?" the man cried out dramatically, as fake anime tears flowed down his face.

 _***SoD***_

Meanwhile, in Soul Society, a certain blonde haired ex-lieutenant stopped what she had previously been doing and stared up into space. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she felt the need to beat her new lover the next time she saw him.

 _***SoD***_

Ryuken continued his battle with the Quincy Lord's heir, trading blows and strategies as they continued trying to gain the advantage against one another.

Finally Haschwalth managed to maneuver the older man into a dead end and was able to engage him in melee combat, forcing him to rely on a Seele Schneider to combat his opponent. Unfortunately the younger man was far more adapted to fighting at close range than the older Quincy, who had been taught to rely on ranged combat and strategy rather than brute force.

Thus when the Sternritter damaged the device with a quick slash Ryuken was left defenseless. Just as his enemy prepared to deliver the final blow a voice rang out, followed by a Quincy arrow which forced Haschwalth to dodge backwards.

"This is quite disappointing father. Had I known that you would have taken the title of 'Last Quincy' and failed I would have demanded that Kurosaki find a way to bring me back to life completely." Uryu called out, walking from the shadows that fell on a nearby wall.

"Uryu…." The father called out, despite knowing what Ichigo was capable of he had been under the impression that his son would not return.

"Quite, but it seems that now the son must surpass the father, too bad I am no longer alive to rub it in your face though." The boy replied with a smirk, before turning his attention back towards their opponent.

"You must be Yhwach's personal 'assistant'. I didn't realize that 'the Father of all Quincy' was into little boys." The younger Ishida taunted, earning a growl from the blond.

"Watch your mouth boy. I will cut you down for speaking of his Majesty in such a way."

"Oh? To be honest I doubt you even could manage that. After all what self-respecting Quincy uses a sword rather than a bow? Where did the creeper find you freaks anyways? I am pretty sure that a giant walking hand, a robot, an Arrancar, and whatever the hell that Gremmy guy was are not types of Quincy."

"You fail to see his Majesty's true power and plans, soon this world will bow to him and all will know just how powerful he truly is."

"I sincerely doubt that. Kurosaki might be a bit of a hot headed asshole…" Uryu began before earning a shout of annoyance from said 'asshole' before continuing, "But he is determined to win, and if there is one thing that I would be reluctant to get in the way of it is a determined Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Determination does not matter in this war, one cannot stand before his Majesty else they be struck down by his undeniable power."

"Sure looks like he is standing pretty well against his 'undeniable power' right now." The resurrected boy muttered, glancing over towards the duel in progress between his friend and the lord of the Quincy.

Before Haschwalth could take advantage of the man's distraction Ryuken fired upon him. The man had finally recovered from his shock and retreated out of the predicament he had been forced into.

Charging forward, the Sternritter, again, tried to force the older man into close combat. The heir immediately found that Uryu had flanked him, and fired as well, forcing him back lest he be torn apart by the projectiles.

Frowning in irritation he tried to move to a more advantageous position against the younger of the two Ishida's only to find himself attacked by the father this time.

The father-son pair moved in such perfect harmony that their was quickly forced onto the defensive, unable to even close the distance to one before the other would fire upon him and force him to retreat. Often earning him light injuries for his troubles.

Finally the Sternritter had managed a surprise Hirenkyaku and kicked the older of his two opponents away, buying him time while the man appeared to be stunned from the impact. Even better his remaining adversary had shifted his focus to his father, for a brief moment, in concern.

This was all the time that the Sternritter needed, and leapt forward impaling the younger boy on his sword, smirking in victory as he did so.

"URYU NO!" Ryuken shouted, before watching, in shock, as his son turned back towards his opponent, a bored look in his eyes.

"Well that sure was anticlimactic wouldn't you agree?" the deceased boy replied, before instantly raising his bow and putting a hole through the side of the blonde's torso.

Leaping backwards Haschwalth cursed under his breath. He had been careless and now he was injured enough that it could affect his combat ability.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, after all you can always use _Ransotengai_ to compensate for the damage to your body structure."

"You dare to give me advice? You, who are no more than a walking corpse. Having failed against the Shinigami and who gave secrets of our kind to the enemy. I have read about your capture and imprisonment. Tell me did you beg for mercy while they were torturing you and your friends?" The Sternritter mocked, trying to break the younger boy's concentration.

Unfortunately it worked.

" _Letzt Still_ "

Uryu immediately entered the enhanced state that he had trained for, and used, during the invasion of Soul Society, and began ripping the very particles out of the building that they stood inside.

Haschwalth and Ryuken's eyes widened, shocked that the boy could perform this technique even without the Sanrei glove.

"How are you able to…"

"This ability is engraved into the Souls of the Quincy. Even in death I continued to train, and with Kurosaki's temporary Resurrection we have been able to achieve power that few could even dream of in the amount of time we had. All of our hidden powers were released and realized through death." Uryu explained as he gathered a massive amount of energy into a single arrow, before disappearing in a blur of Hirenkyaku, only to appear above his opponent, his bow drawn and arrow ready.

He let loose the projectile, firing it directly down into the man's head. The resulting blast collapsed floor after floor of the Royal Palace in the resulting rush of energy, and utterly destroyed the man.

 _***SoD***_

Isshin and Gerard clashed again, sword against sword, as the two struggled for dominance. The Sternritter had been shocked to find that the ex-Captain's strength rivaled his own impressive ability and that it had been a stalemate for much of the battle.

Unfortunately the Shinigami was beginning to tire. He was still far from being in peak physical shape after so many years of his powers lying dormant. Meanwhile the Quincy had been training and utilizing his new abilities on an almost daily basis.

But what he lacked in energy he more than made up for in experience and knowledge. Thus the two continued exchanging blows, neither making any progress towards victory.

That is until a feminine voice called out from behind the former Captain.

"Isshin _sweetheart_ how about you let these two gentlemen take care of your opponent. If I recall we have a few things that need to be discussed." Masaki Kurosaki called out in a sweet tone, causing both men to begin sweating in fear.

"No offense Shinigami, but this might be the one time that I feel sorry for my opponent."

"Yeah no kidding, at least you are getting off easy." Isshin remarked, as he saw the Quincy's new opponents step from a nearby shadow.

One was a large fox creature, the other a much smaller and slimmer dark skinned man with goggles over his eyes.

"Hey Tousen how about we make a bet on this one? First one to land a solid blow on the Quincy buys sake for the other."

"As always Komamura your change in personality since we passed on is becoming quite bothersome, but I suppose I will have to accept your wager. After all I am in the mood for some good sake and even more so when I do not have to pay for it."

"Oh? You sound so sure of yourself, but if I remember correctly you were the one who got your ass handed to you by Zaraki way before I did." The large anthromorph reminded his friend, earning a glare in return.

"You just can't let that one go can you… very well let us get this battle underway. Our opponent seems to be somewhat bored watching our conversation."

True to his statement the Sternritter had simply stared at the two reincarnated warriors curiously before laughing out in excitement.

"NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT, BUT I THINK YOU NEED AT LEAST A FEW MORE WARRIORS BEFORE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE THE LIKES OF ME!"

 _***SoD***_

The three outcasts had been assembled before an irate mother, Kisuke and Yoruichi having defeated their opponent moments before.

"Listen Masaki, before we start let me just say…. It was all Kisuke's fault." Isshin replied, nodding sagely at the last part of his statement.

The poor blond face faulted, crying anime tears at how disloyal his friends were.

"Oh I am well aware that you are ALL responsible for what happened to my son. Isshin, you never told him the truth, Kisuke you never bothered mentioning how much you knew about what was going on or what would eventually befall him, and Yoruichi you should have known better than to let A BUNCH OF TEENAGERS WALK INTO SOUL SOCIETY!"

"But but but Masaki we were just trying to give him a childhood, why worry him about things like Hollows and Shinigami…" The shopkeeper replied, trying to mount a defense in his favor.

"Oh I don't know maybe since you knew it would eventually become a bit of an issue for him? It's not like any of you believed that Aizen wouldn't be coming for him, or that Yhwach wouldn't return. I didn't expect you to turn him into a warrior when he was ten but I expected him not to be utterly shocked every time someone told him something."

"Okay fair point, but the whole Soul Society fiasco wasn't our doing, that was just bad luck that things turned out like that." Yoruichi spoke out.

"Exactly, you never took any of that into account. Hell if the damn Hogyoku was so important to you then why didn't you tell Soul Society about it, or what about the three of you infiltrating the Seireitei and retrieving it rather than sending in children with less than a year of combat experience!?" at this point the Quincy was nearly shouting at the three former Captains, who had the decency to look embarrassed at their actions.

"Look I am not going to force you to do something you don't want to, but the fact of the matter is that the three of you owe Ichigo more than you can repay, and that is not even mentioning what you owe Ryuken for letting his son get involved in your screw up as well. I might not be around but you can bet your asses I will be watching." The woman turned to walk back towards her son's duel before shouting once more over her shoulder.

"AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ISSHIN TAKE DOWN THAT CREEPY POSTER OF ME!"

 _***SoD***_

"Isn't this ironic? A half-Shinigami, half-Quincy turned Arrancar becomes a greater Shinigami than any before him in his final stage!" Yhwach laughed out earning glares from those present, save for Ichigo who simply gazed back at the man curiously.

"Since you understand the truth you must realize how pointless this battle is. You cannot defeat death itself Yhwach, it is a force that all beings must eventually bow to."

"HA! Only the weak make such petty excuses! I will show you what true strength is boy! I will show you why I shall rule this and every other world!"

Again the man charged toward his opponent, briefly wondering why none of his friends bothered to step forward to aid him, before slashing out with his sword. Instantly he felt the telltale sign of being parried, and looking down saw that his enemy had summoned a blade made of shadow and smoke.

Pulling back the two began what appeared to be a dance of swordsmanship. Each moving gracefully around the grand hall, exchanging swipes and stabs along with parries and dodges.

Although it started as a stalemate the battle was slowly moving toward Ichigo's favor, much to the annoyance of the Quincy King.

At one point the two swung their blades, intending on clashing with one another, only for the Arrancar to briefly disperse his. This allowed the Quincy's blade to pass through the empty air, before Ichigo re-summoned his sword again, delivering a powerful slash across his opponent's torso.

Jumping backwards the king fired a powerful barrage of arrows, only for them to be stopped by a wall of shadow chains that appeared from everywhere.

"This battle is pointless Yhwach. You are fighting to continue a war that has been dragging on for a thousand years, and for what revenge? Is your personal vendetta so important that you would willingly sacrifice everyone in existence just to see it fulfilled?"

"IN A HEARTBEAT!" the man shouted, losing his composure.

"You would sacrifice us your majesty?" an eerie voice rang out, as the various deceased Sternritter and Quincy began stepping out from the shadows.

"Why would you discard us so easily your majesty?"

"Have we not served you loyally?"

"Have we not given enough to aide you in your quest?"

"Have we ever been anything more than soldiers to you?"

"Anything more than pawns?"

Slowly the room began to fill with the shadow spawned individuals, who began to close in on their former leader. Ichigo merely stared on dispassionately as the scene continued.

"You seek to turn my own soldiers against me eh boy? Perhaps you are a better leader than I gave you credit for. To do such a heartless thing truly is a mark of a great leader."

"You misunderstand Yhwach. It is not heartlessness that drives me to summon them once more, it is pity. They were manipulated and used just as I was and they deserve justice as I have found in my life."

As the first Sternritter reached out toward him Yhwach swung forward with his blade, easily cleaving the former man in two.

"If you think that these pathetic copies can stop me then you are…" before his sentence could be finished the figure he had previously struck down reformed into its original state.

"Do you not understand _your majesty_? These people have died for you and your cause. You can no more kill them than you can kill the shadows and the darkness that exist throughout the world. Death cannot be destroyed and neither can they." Ichigo called out, answering the question that seemed to be hanging in the air.

"It's true. We are no longer of this world or of this life. We are shadows of ourselves, although we have been able to realize our true potential through death we can only interact with this world as long as Ichigo wills us to. Once this war is over there will no longer be a reason to return… I hope." Uryu replied, shifting his gaze toward the Captain General for a moment, as if trying to get his point across.

The bespectacled boy then returned his sight to the situation at hand. He had not noticed the sad look from his father who could see and speak with his son, but no longer help him.

"If I cannot remove them then I will remove you!" The Quincy shouted in rage. Charging forward he began to cut his way through the seemingly endless horde of returned Quincy, trying to reach his tormentor.

Ichigo merely shook his head before turning and walking back toward the group of his friends, who nodded and began departing the chamber.

"Do not turn your back on me brat!" Yhwach shouted, before hands began grabbing him from behind, pulling him back into the mob as more and more of his former allies clung to him, dragging him beneath the horde of returned souls.

The shouts of pain echoed through the, now empty, halls before finally being silenced.

 _***SoD***_

"So Yhwach is dead then?" Yamamoto called out, having assembled his Captains with the rest of the allied forces.

"Yes, and with that this conflict is finally over and peace can resume, hopefully forever." Ichigo replied, before turning towards his deceased friends.

"I am sorry for everything, I only hope that the peace we have won will be worthy of your sacrifice."

"Ichigo you know I have always had your back and no matter what I always will." Chad proclaimed.

"Damn Straight Ichigo, and if these jackasses try anything against you then you know who to call. I wouldn't mind smashing some of their faces in again." Tatsuki smirked, earning a smile and nod from Orihime as well.

"Likewise Kurosaki, though we may have had our differences I can honestly call you my closest friend and ally. Maybe if things had turned out differently than we would have been fighting side by side in the end, who knows." Uryu replied with a friendly punch to the Arrancar's shoulder.

"I must say Ichigo, despite having only known you for a short time I am glad that we met, despite how things appeared to have turned out. I would not have traded our time together for anything in the world." Rukia replied, walking up with her brother and Renji.

Byakuya only gave the Espada a brief nod while the redhead did as well, an apologetic look in his eyes.

"Ichigo, my son," Masaki called out, slowly walking towards him with tears forming in her eyes. "I am so proud of you and what you have done here. You have created a lasting peace, one that will continue for centuries."

"I hate to say it but I believe it is time Kurosaki." Ukitake called out, having finished up a conversation with his friend Shunsui.

Ichigo nodded in response before closing his eyes, a peaceful look appearing on his face as he let the tension in his body disperse. Just as quickly as they had appeared the returned figures reverted back into a black smoke, dispersing into the air from a gentle breeze.

 _***SoD***_

Once the 'Blood War' had ended peace talks and negotiations had hastily resumed between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the former being very reluctant for any more hostilities.

True to their word the Seireitei continued purging the Hollows that were allowed, and never again challenged the kingdom, which now grew even larger.

Gin was elected as 'President of the Rukongai' and immediately began the reforms that he had always dreamed of taking place.

Newly arrived souls would be grouped and escorted to set locations allowing families to be reunited.

The upper numbered districts were slowly improved to the point where they could be livable, save for numbers seventy nine and eighty.

Any souls that arrived in those wretched places were immediately rescued and taken to other places by Shinigami forces.

Without the Quincy or Hollow threats the walls that separated the Seireitei from the rest of Soul Society were never seen again, and trade began to circulate between the two major powers.

Isshin, Urahara, Yoruichi, Sui-Feng, and Tessai never again joined the Shinigami forces, although they would occasionally meet the various Captains for tea.

More prominent was their relationship with Las Noches, which allowed the father and son to finally reconcile and be on friendly terms once more.

The Visoreds were able to track down the surviving Fullbringers and join with them to form their own group in the human world, banding together under the common similarity of having Hollow powers forced onto them.

Shunsui would succeed his father figure as the Captain Commander.

Within fifty years a proposal was accepted between Las Noches and the Shinigami that allowed for a joint academy to be formed.

There the newly created Arrancar would gain skills in swordsmanship, etiquette, Hakuda, and diplomacy. In the meantime the Shinigami chosen would have the opportunity to work with their new allies, be exposed to their abilities, and obtain valuable experience through sparing.

Ichigo would never again need to draw upon either of his released forms, in fact the only combat he would ever truly need to do was the occasional sparring or putting down a few Hollow uprisings in the Forest of Menos.

 _***SoD***_

 _One hundred years later_

A man walked through a cemetery, carrying a small package. After a few minutes he came to a stop in front of two markers of his former friends and crouched down to burn some incense and say a short prayer for the fallen whose remains he honored.

Leaving that row he did the same with two more gravestones, representing two more that had fallen protecting him, before leaving the area.

As he walked down the street he could see and hear the various signs of peaceful life taking place around him, children laughing, young lovers whispering into each other's ears, elderly couples enjoying their time with each other. Giving a deep sigh he simply fell into a natural stride, relaxing under the cool breeze.

Stopping for a brief moment the orange haired adult gave a warm smile as he noticed the group of teenagers walking on the other side of the street. One was a happy and energetic girl with long orange hair. The female standing next to her had considerably shorter black hair and a 'tomboy' look. The two were flanked by a large darker skinned male who walked alongside of a pale man with nerdy glasses.

It appeared as though the reincarnation cycle had finally given his friends a second chance.

The group continued conversing excitedly about the upcoming school exams, unaware that of the attention they had attracted.

Suddenly the first girl stopped, and looked across the street, but found it empty.

"Hey are you okay?" her friend inquired, seeing his confused look.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just had this really warm feeling, like someone was watching over us."

"Ah you're crazy, come on we are being left behind!"

Giving a confirming nod, and a last glance back at where she had thought she noticed someone standing, the girl ran to catch up with her friends.

***A/N***

Wow, so that's the end of my first full length story, and what a ride it has been. I am not sure what to feel now though. It is a mixture of relief, pride, and sorrow.

 **I have added an extended ending due to several requests, and I think it fills in some gaps quite nicely.**

I am intending on posting one more chapter after this one but it will not be relating to the story, I read another Fanfiction a while back that included a "bloopers" chapter at the end and there are quite a few alternate scenes I kind of what to include, it would be comedy driven though.

For everyone who has taken the time to read my story I can't thank you enough.


	33. Bloopers

**Shadows of Deceit**

Bloopers

***I do not own the ridiculous shenanigans mentioned below… because if I did own Bleach then Gin would have just been trolling EVERYONE. ***

 *****Introduction and Insults*****

Around twenty minutes later the food had been finished and Aizen stood to address the group, "Ichigo if you would like to head back to your quarters I will be there shortly to speak with you in private, I doubt you would be interested in the rest of this conversation."

Ichigo nodded before getting up and heading to the door, pausing for a moment he turned to speak before Stark appeared before him in a flash and handed him a map of Las Noches.

Glancing down the substitute saw that the entire map looked like it had been drawn in crayon, complete with various symbols and a sun in the corner with a smiley face on it. The sections were split off into different colors and had notes on who lived in which areas. The only problem was that rather than actually having names it had 'pictures' of each individual, such as a strange blue cat in one spot while another had a crudely drawn stick figure with large breasts.

Ichigo glanced up at the man who had handed him the picture, a questioning look in his eye.

"Sorry about the map, Gin was the only one who volunteered to make them…"

 *****Of Arrancar and Men*****

"If that is the case then skip the 'san' part with me." the Fifth Espada said with a bright smile. "Oh these are my Fraccion Dondochakka and Pesche."

Immediately the two men stopped shoveling food into their mouths and stood up from the table, before walking around it to confront the boy personally.

"So you're the new guy eh? Well let me lay down the rules for you then… new guy." The one identified as Dondochakka began while his companion slowly circled the Shinigami, looking him up and down.

"Very nice, do you work out Ichigo? I bet you do with cheeks like that."

"PESCHE WHAT THE HELL!?" Nelliel shouted out, embarrassed beyond belief at what her two Fraccion were doing to the poor boy.

"What? He has a firm and strong looking face, an obvious sign of a warrior!" the Arrancar replied, before poking Ichigo in the mouth.

"I just want you to know boy, we are the most feared Fraccion in Hueco Mundo… so if you even think of trying to do something to our mistress… let us know so we can video tape it."

This time Ichigo joined the emerald haired beauty in her blush, and looking at the two in a horrified manner.

"I swear to God I am going to kill both of you." The female growled out while looking around for her sword.

"One more word of advice Ichigo and this one is very important so pay attention." Pesche called out in a serious manner, his face losing all signs of amusement or humor.

"Okay and what is that?"

"Don't drop the soap."

"Fuck it, Harribel hand me a blunt object I'll just beat them to death." Nelliel remarked, giving up on finding her blade.

"Seriously though soap is rare in Hueco Mundo and dropping it will make the floors even more slippery, you could fall and hurt yourself. Did you know that falling due to soap drops is the leading cause of sore cheeks in Las Noches? This time I am talking about the other cheeks though."

"Here Nelliel you can use this chair, I managed to rip it off the floor." The dark skinned woman answered, handing the other female Espada the soon to be weapon.

 *****Bonding and Decisions*****

The two sat in contemplation, before Lillynette shouted, breaking the silence that hung in the air.

"I'M HUNGRY! Let's go get some food."

"But you just ate like two hours ago." Stark pointed out, before the young girl turned towards him.

"Yeah but it wasn't ice cream!"

"We don't have ice cream in Hueco Mundo."

"What the hell do you mean we don't have ice cream!?"

"Where would we get ice cream in the middle of a giant desert?"

"Where do we get any food in the middle of a desert?"

"Touché…"

"Right then I guess we have no choice but to go on an adventure!" With that the young girl jumped onto Stark's head, much to his annoyance.

"THATTA WAY!" She exclaimed happily, pointing in a random direction.

"Uh the cafeteria is in the opposite direction…"

"DON'T TALK BACK TO YOUR CAPTAIN!" the Fraccion exclaimed before smacking her Espada on the head.

"Sometimes I am envious of your lack of subordinates Ulquiorra…"

 *****Battle for Reason*****

"That is all very exciting Aizen-Sama, but why did you want us to be present for this?" Aaroniero asked.

"Ooooh I can answer that question," The silver haired Shinigami gleefully responded, "when a creature undergoes Hollowification, or goes to confront their inner Hollow, their body is placed into a berserker state, attacking anything around it that it can possibly perceive as a threat. So your jobs will be to get your asses handed to you for our amuseme…. I mean for our personal and very important scientific observations." Gin finished with a smile forming on his face.

What followed was a moment of silence, as various eyes twitched at the bluntness of Gin's statement.

"Think of it as feeding a puppy, a fifteen year old, orange haired, sword wielding monstrously powerful puppy. Except for that you are the food, or maybe the squeaky toy would be a better analogy."

 _***Scene***_

"Quite alright Ichigo, Gin could you instruct Ichigo on the proper form for Jinzen while I prepare the Hogyoku and Tousen creates the battle rotation." Aizen spoke as Gin walked forward and took Ichigo a few feet further from the others.

"Alright Ichigo-Kun this is pretty easy to do. First assume a crouched down position with your sword in front of you, next you are going to want to imagine yourself going through a deep internal struggle… so basically pooping."

"Uh come again?"

"You heard me, crouch down and imagine that you are sitting on a toilet. Then focus on that inner power until it cramps up in your stomach, also make sure you are doing the scrunched up face like you are in pain. That part is very important to the 'process'."

A few moments later Aizen glances over to see the progress Gin is making, only to notice Ichigo sitting down, his sword in his lap and a pained expression on his face as if he was trying to use the restroom.

"Ichigo… why does it look like you are trying to…."

"BECAUSE YOUR LIEUTENANT TOLD ME THIS IS HOW I HAD TO DO IT!"

 _***Scene***_

"It is quite obvious Ichigo, you are trying to claim all of your powers before you even know _why_ you are trying to do so. You want all of our power, all of our abilities, and all of our strength but you don't know what to do with it once you obtain it. It is no different than a child wanting to become an adult without realizing what kind of lives adults have." The stoic Zangetsu spoke.

"Yeah King, I mean think about all the stuff adults have to do, like taxes, paying bills, full time jobs, and housework! God doesn't that just sound like the worst?"

"Actually yeah all of that does sound pretty terrible." Ichigo replied dropping his guard as his inner Hollow did as well. "I mean I always thought that growing up would be awesome but when you actually say what it entails, giving up so much freedom and happiness just to take on more responsibilities… makes it seem awful."

"I know right? Then there is just sooooo much more you have to do, and of course that means less free time, blah if it wasn't for the fact that it makes drinking, smoking, gambling, and fucking easier I would say just screw growing up all together."

"Yeah I hear you… wait what were we doing again?"

"Uh…. I don't really remember. HEY OLD MAN WHAT THE HELL WERE WE DOING BEFORE THIS?" The Hollow shouted, earning a face palm in disbelief from the elder man in question.

 *****Answers and More Questions*****

"No, listen Ichigo did not 'rip my mask off' and he did not 'inappropriately fill my hole' none of this was his fault. Aizen used the Hogyoku on him which resulted in this." Nelliel gestured to her head.

"Soooo what you're saying is, that Aizen is the one who inappropriately touched you!" Dondochakka exclaimed.

"No one inappropriately touched me!"

"Soooooo what you're saying is that Ichigo whispered sweet nothings in your ear, and you were inappropriately touching him? FOR SHAME LADY NELLIEL!"

"What!? No! I did not touch him like that either."

"Soooo what you're saying is that you, Harribel-San, Ichigo, and Gin went to a furry convention dressed up as pink rabbits to rub up against each other?"

"Wait what? What the hell are you even talking about? And stop saying 'soooo what you're saying is' because every time you do the next statement is wrong."

"Soooo what you're saying is that everything is Grimmjow's fault?"

Nelliel had briefly considered just saying yes and blaming the Espada but knew it would come back to bite her in the ass at some point.

The Espada let out a sigh and shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't care about her Fraccion, quite the opposite they were her first real friends after all. It was just that sometimes dealing with them and their antics could give anyone a headache, and she had just been through a long, and strange, day.

"No I am saying that it was no one's fault it just sort of happened."

"That's what they always say! 'It just sort of happened' and you know what happens next? SOMEONE GET'S PREGNANT!" Pesche exclaimed, causing an eerie silence in the room as Nelliel went through several shades of red and Dondochakka's jaw literally hit the floor.

 *****A Difference of Opinions*****

"Oh my my, it appears that your little 'training exercise' has caused some dissention in the ranks Captain Aizen." The silver haired Shinigami spoke happily as he observed the various interactions from his monitoring station, which just so happened to include a large comfortable leather reclining chair and a bowl of popcorn in his hand.

"I swear this is better than the cable we are stealing from the Seireitei." Gin continued, as he pulled a large hat onto his head with two cup holders attached to it and curly straws leading to his mouth.

"Gin what did I tell you about eating in the control room?"

"Hmm?" the former Captain seemed to ask, as he pulled a large bucket of chicken… out from who knows where.

"Also how in the world did you manage to steal cable from a different dimension?"

"Tapped into their cable box." Gin replied as if it were the obvious answer, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Yes I understand how to steal cable Gin. I recall you doing it back when we lived in the Soul Society, but how are you doing it now?"

"A really long cable."

Aizen blinked, his mind trying to wrap around what his lieutenant had just said, before deciding not to inquire further and changed the topic.

 *****Rules of Engagement*****

"I didn't realize it had gotten that bad. I am sorry for worrying all of you. I have had a lot on my mind lately with everything, and the recent… changes have been hard getting used to lately."

With a relieved sigh the others in the room became aware that his usual emotional persona had returned, as a grateful smile adorned his face.

"Wait a second I said it _wasn't_ a bad thing to be acting like me. What do you mean 'it had gotten that bad'?" Stark asked, an in an annoyed tone.

"It was very worrying Ichigo. After all no one should have to go through acting that way. It truly is a fate worse than death." Harribel commented, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder in a comforting way.

"I'm sitting right here you know…" The Primera growled out.

"You must understand Ichigo, we all care about you and to allow something so terrible to befall a comrade is unacceptable. So if there is anything we can do to cure you of this terrible disease we will." This time it was Nelliel, her voice comforting the poor boy.

"I haven't gone anywhere…."

"Whatever it takes to break this terrible curse we will do. Whatever might have allowed for such a doom to take hold on you we will find a way to reverse it." Ulquiorra nodded, earning a thankful smile from the newest Arrancar.

"I hate you all so much." Stark stated with a pout

***Scene***

"I wonder though Ichigo," Stark began, not wanting to miss a chance to continue the teasing. "How will you fair if Aizen wants you to do battle against the two women again? If you are so deadly with a blade you might have to resort to hand to hand combat, even wrestling the two into submission. Of course with Harribel's powers it would quickly turn into mud wrestling though, and I doubt that with such fierce combat that any of you will remain with intact clothing, so you might as well just bring bathing suits to avoid destroying any other outfits."

"True Stark, but if it comes to that I will make sure to persuade Aizen-Sama not to let such a glorious opportunity to test out the Espadas' grappling skills go to waste. Perhaps you, Nnoitra, Yammy, and Baraggan could do a free for all you know to test your skills against one another. Of course I doubt that Nnoita or Yammy own bathing suits so they would have to go in nude but maybe the old man can find a thong somewhere?" Ichigo replied back, his face completely serious, much to the Espada's horror.

"I think Ichigo just invented a new form of psychological warfare…" Ulquiorra muttered out, noticing that Stark had gone into shock.

 *****Training Montage*****

"Ichigo remove your shirt, I need to see what bruises you obtain to measure your healing factor." The Espada commanded.

From a nearby cliff Ichigo swore he heard someone make the sounds from a cheap 1970's porno, the classic 'bow chicka bow wow'.

As the 'battle' continued Ichigo soon found himself covered in bruises. Much to the surprise of both the Espada and the boy he was 'training' they would quickly heal after he took a short rest from combat.

Throughout the spar there repeatedly came strange noises from the same cliff area. What sounded like 'woooo!', 'awwwwww yeahhhhh', 'Mommas gonna get me some sugar', 'take it off' chants, and various other catcalls echoed through the area.

***Scene***

Stark quickly appeared, trying to look innocent, "oh Ichigo, imagine seeing you out here, I was just on my way to… pick up some rocks for Aizen… Yeah that's it! Aizen needed some rocks for uh… throwing at Yammy and asked me to grab some, oh look there's another one." The Espada crouched down and picked up a stone that was located on the battlefield, "Also Gin wanted me to… uh… comb the desert. So…" Astonishingly Stark then pulled out a giant comb from behind his back, easily twice his size, and began to, as he said before, comb the desert. As the others in the area just raised their eyebrow's and thought the exact same thing.

'Does he really expect us to believe that' along with 'where the hell was he keeping that comb?'

***Scene***

When it came time for Tousen's training session Ichigo found himself in an almost classroom setting, seated at a desk with his four companions a few seats behind him. Originally they were all crowded around the boy, but Tousen's teacher mode had kicked in and separated them on the grounds of "he is not going to learn with you passing him notes all day".

Oddly enough most of the notes came from Gin, who had snuck into the classroom, along with throwing balled up pieces of paper at Tousen's head when he was facing the chalkboard, and rearranging the room.

At one point the 'teacher' had turned around to find that all the desks, and several filing cabinets that had not been present before, were stacked in a rather elegant pyramid shape, with the various Arrancar looking bewildered on the bottom and Gin sitting with an innocent smile at the very top.

 *****Plans of Pursuit*****

Gin's, on the other hand, look like they had been scribbled in crayon. Which, judging by the colors, they had. Aizen let out a sigh at his former lieutenant's antics.

Reading it over, he found that the man's suggestions revolved more around creating as much conflict and excitement, as he called it, as possible. The silver haired man had even had included a scale to gauge how much 'fun' the teams would create.

Or at least that is what he assumed, Gin had taken the time to draw each plan rather than actually write down the names. So Aizen was left trying to decipher poorly scribbled stick figures.

"Gin, what exactly does this symbol mean?" the former Fifth Division Captain began, pointing to one of the shapes.

"Obviously it's Nnoitra, you can tell because of the extra arms."

Aizen squinted closer, noticing small black lines coming from the stick figure, apparently symbolizing arms.

"That's all well and good Gin. But my other question would be, why is your picture on this page very in depth and detailed?" the leader questioned, pointing to the incredibly accurate stenciled and shaded picture of Gin himself, complete with his patented smirk.

"I don't know what you are talking about Captain Aizen. I guess I just photograph better than everyone else."

 *****For the Love of Arrancar*****

As the two females went to leave Nelliel had a thought and turned back to face the two males. "Oh and we will be asking Lillynette about what you two tell her. If the answer is unsatisfactory to us we can always take her to Gin, I am sure he would love to help her out."

As he was watching from the control room Gin began to giggle with excitement. Oh the things he would teach her! Already a lesson plan began to form in his mind.

Lesson one: Strip teasing

Lesson two: What to bite and what not to bite

Lesson three: Testing the waters, a beginners guide to bondage and leather

Lesson four: Roleplaying: the do's, don'ts, and HELL NO's

Lesson Five: When NOT to wear a furry costume

Lesson Six: Things that go in the butt

Lesson Seven: The internet is for porn

Lesson Eight: "/b", if you don't know what it is, don't ask.

***Scene***

"Oooo this will be fun" Gin smirked, as he made his way towards Ichigo with a calligraphy pen. "So Ichigo, where would you like your ink? WAIT! Don't tell me I already have the perfect place, shirt off please." Gin commanded.

Ichigo followed the order, causing the two women in the room to blush furiously as Ichigo revealed his very toned and muscular body.

Gin quickly made his way to the Arrancar's right side, before he began drawing. A few minutes later he was still doing so.

Ten minutes after he started he was muttering to himself as he continued.

"No no no that's not right."

"Ooooo wait a bit more like that."

"Nah too obvious."

"Not enough pink."

"Wait wait that's it!"

"Come on just a little bit more…"

"YES YES PERFECT!"

An hour after he started Gin proudly stood back to look at his work, an extremely detailed and stylized portrait of his own face was now tattooed onto Ichigo's arm.

"Um Gin… what about his number?" Aizen asked after coughing to gain the silver haired man's attention.

"His what?"

***Scene***

"Oooo this will be fun" Gin smirked, as he made his way towards Ichigo with a calligraphy pen. "So Ichigo, where would you like your ink? WAIT! Don't tell me I already have the perfect place, shirt off please." Gin commanded.

Ichigo followed the order, causing the two women in the room to blush furiously as Ichigo revealed his very toned and muscular body.

Gin quickly made his way to the Arrancar's right side, before he began drawing. A few minutes later he was still doing so. An hour later he was still drawing.

Three more hours passed as the various Espada had taken up conversations amongst each other or simply falling asleep in boredom.

Finally five hours into the ordeal Grimmjow awoke suddenly and slammed his hands into the table, breaking the mood that had fallen over the room.

This brought Aizen out of his reading and caused him to focus his attention onto his lieutenant.

"Gin are you done yet?"

"Of course Captain Aizen! BEHOLD MY MASTERPIECE!"

Stepping back Ichimaru showed the entire room what he had drawn onto Ichigo's upper arm, a perfectly normal number zero.

 *****Reap the Whirlwind*****

"You know what fuck it I'm out you can both just go do whatever the hell you want. I am going to go find someone else to fight who isn't some freakishly annoying monster stalker." The former Fifth Division Captain exasperated before attempting to leave the area.

Unfortunately Gin quickly ran to him, grabbing and holding onto his leg like a child while crying fake anime tears.

"PLEASE DON'T GO SHINJI-CHAN, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU WHY MUST YOU DENY OUR LOVE!?"

"LET GO OF ME YOU PSYCHOTIC BASTARD!"

"I CAN'T SHINJI-KUN THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST CHANCE WE HAVE TO MAKE SWEET TENDER LOVE TO EACH OTHER, WOULD YOU REALLY DENY ME ONE LAST MOMENT OF HAPPINESS?"

"I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY I WILL CUT YOUR FREAKING ARMS OFF!"

"HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH THINGS, AFTER ALL WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH!?"

Finally the Visored pulled a crowbar out from his pocket, how the hell he managed that Ichigo would never figure out, and pried the ex-Captain off of him before turning and running away.

 *****Overwhelm*****

"Sorry about that Stark-San, but this is a battle after all, and we will do whatever it takes to win."

"I am painfully aware of that. Unfortunately you made a very big mistake, not as bad as you could have but still… You see you have managed to piss off three of your opponents now. You made me stab my brother, and you injured the lover of the two Arrancar females. The only possible way you could have made this worse is if it had been one of the two girls instead. In which case Ichigo would have ripped Ukitake's head off with his bare hands." Stark spoke with a tone of hatred in his voice not present before.

Suddenly a voice came shouting out over the battlefield, "LOVER OF THOSE TWO!? ICHIGO MY SON YOU HAVE NOT ONLY BECOME A MAN BUT HAVE FINALLY SURPASSED ME! JUMP INTO YOUR FATHER'S ARMS AND JOIN THE SOCIETY OF MANLINESS!"

 *****Aftermath*****

Gin Ichimaru currently sat on a small private balcony of the second floor of his house in the Rukongai. After he had been found not guilty of crimes against the Soul Society, but guilty of 'conduct unbecoming of a seated officer he was promptly removed from the Gotei 13, and exiled to either the Rukongai or Hueco Mundo.

He had chosen the latter of the two, since it allowed him to spend time with his new roommate Rangiku Matsumoto. The former lieutenant had chosen to leave the Court Guard as well after all of the crimes revolving the SRDI, Aizen, and the exiles was finally brought to light. She simply could not bring herself to serve under another Captain.

Glancing up from his seat the ex-Captain's jaw nearly hit the floor. The blonde was currently leaning against their kitchen counter, in an all leather corset, high heeled leather boots, leather gloves, and carrying a whip.

In her hand she held a book entitled 'Gin Ichimaru's Masterpiece: A Complete Guide to the Perverse'.

Looking up the woman smirked dangerously, and began walking towards the, now fearful, man with a gleam in her eyes.

 *****First Strike*****

Meanwhile Kenpachi was having a fantastic time. Swinging his released Zanpakuto around, he was about to cut some guy by the name of 'Driscoll' in half, only to find his opponent was beheaded before his blade connected.

Glancing around in shock, the bloodthirsty Captain spied Gin Ichimaru standing a good distance away with a smile on his face.

"POINT FOR ME CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" The man shouted before skipping off.

Grumbling in annoyance the Captain looked for, and promptly found, another target, and charged forward, only to watch in annoyance as this one too fell down dead before he could reach him.

"THAT'S TWO TO ZERO ZARAKI-SAN"

"God damnit…." The man growled out, looking for another target.

Again and again though Gin would interrupt and finally there seemed to be no one left to fight.

"Well I think that was game point Zaraki-Chan. I win at six to zero."

"YOU KILL STEALING SON OF A BITCH!"

"You can thank me later Kenpachi-kun, oh wait is that… SHINJI-CHAN YOU'VE COME BACK TO ME!" the silver haired man shouted earning a scream of terror from the blond in question as Gin began skipping towards him.

*** **Something Completely Different** ***

The two men stared each other down, as if measuring up the other in a contest of strength and will. Neither would make the first move though, to do so would be to admit fear and desperation.

Stark gave a slight nod towards Shinji, who returned with a nod himself.

Minutes ticked by, before finally one of the room's occupants had enough, "Quit screwing around you are wasting our time!" Lillynette immediately jumped up, and swatted her Espada across the back of the head for 'wasting time'.

Shinji stifled the laughter that threatened to escape from him.

"What's so damn funny buck tooth? You are just as bad. Now get the hell out of the way so that I can hang out with my friends!"

"Hey, I didn't have to bring you here you know. Perhaps you should be a bit…"

His complaints were silenced by a kick to his shins, forcing him to yelp in pain and begin hopping on his 'good foot'.

"You should be nicer beaver-kun." Yachiru chirped in.

"Why the hell did I have to bring you along too?"

"Because Kenny said so, and you are afraid of him."

"Ah yeah that's why." the Visored muttered out in annoyance.

Meanwhile the three girls stared at each other for a brief moment before… "Comeon I'll take you two on the tour!" the green haired Arrancar happily exclaimed, before grabbing the other two girl's hands and running from the room, all happily giggling the entire time.

The Espada and former Captain shot another glance towards each other.

"So… you got 'chosen' too I see?"

"Yeah… it's not like they aren't adults though. They could easily make the trip by themselves. Hell Ichigo offered to make the trip with them himself." The Visored whined.

Stark merely shrugged, "I was picked to 'supervise' their little 'play date'. I am not sure why they need supervision but…"

They immediately received their answer as the fortress shook from an explosion, and a loud "oops…" rang out through the hallway.

Apparently they had started the 'tour' with Syzael's lab.

"I guess that answers my question…"

The two men immediately set off, reluctantly, to try and do damage control on whatever the three terrors had gotten into.

***A/N***

As I reread my story while writing this I have come to the conclusion… I am hilarious. Not sure if anyone else noticed or not so I figured I should just throw that one out there.

If I could find a way to include Gin in every future story of mine, I would do so.

But that was my last 'chapter' I plan for this story. Despite several requests there will not be a sequel to it since I rather enjoyed how it ended.

Also to resolve some confusion, the graves at the end of the last chapter were Orihime and Tatsuki's first, then Chad and Uryu's. Sorry about the confusion.

I can't thank you all enough for the support of this story. Seriously you guys and girls rock so much!


	34. AN

**Shadows of Deceit**

***A/N***

When I first finished this story I received quite a few requests that when I began my next Bleach story I would inform everyone.

Since I doubt I can locate every screen name who asked for such a thing I figured this would be the next best thing so consider this the 'official announcement'.

 **My new Bleach Story will be posted today!**

The title I have decided upon is: **Raised in the Light.**

I assume that for those of you who have kept up with the manga that you will understand where this name comes from, and thus what the fanfic will be focusing on.

It will still be centered on Ichigo though.

Sadly enough I haven't figured out a way to have Gin be majorly involved yet, because he really was my favorite character to write for in Shadows of Deceit.


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